The Marred Pariah
by NoSlashScreamer
Summary: The War is over and Cybertron thrives again. Starscream emerges from his coma, injured and without memories. Ratchet affirms that he will heal over time, so Optimus decides to raise him as an Autobot. But under the alias "Moonwing", Starscream finds himself up against an impending war and bot-eating Predacons. This time, Decepticons will have to rise as heroes to save their home.
1. Prologue: Pathetic

**Welcome to this long fanfiction. There will be art for it** **available on Deviantart under the account EmperorKumquat, and more to be posted in the future.**

 **This is a story of changing hearts (sparks) and redemption. Not just for Starscream, though the story happens through his eyes.** **After Transformers Prime and RiD 2015, the fates of many characters were left open, so I wanted to explain possible fates for them and develop them within a crisis. This includes** **characters such as Megatron, Shockwave, Soundwave and Laserbeak, Slipstream, Airachnid, Predaking, Darksteel, Skylynx, and Knockout.**

 **Starscream will rise, and others will rise with him. Together, Autobots and Decepticons must become allies to save the world from destruction.**

 **This is mercy, but more importantly, it will be justice.**

 **We begin with Starscream's end in RiD 2015.**

* * *

The powerful being strained and growled, but the angel encased in mystic armour was caught in the claws of turmoil. For now, he was still grey and streaked by lines of luminous blue, furthermore adorned with multiple wings stretching out from his back. A strength he had never possessed before overwhelmed him, yet his surge of rapture plunged downwards as he dropped through the open air. The sky retreated, and he, stiff and shaking, gradually became aware of the end.

Red, startled eyes shot open with narrowed pupils, but his sight changed to the colours of a fantasy in his mind. All he saw then was a single hope of a future that would never be. He rolled his gaze upwards, then squeezed his eyes shut to concentrate on obtaining it. If it weren't for the ensemble of hands and bodies clinging to his legs, he could have achieved that dream of freedom and control he desired. He could have flown anywhere with the will of his mind and smote any who dared oppose him. Yet his omnipotence was built upon the suffering of others, and his chosen path had been to slaughter and conquer. Thus together, his created-enemies had successfully strategized his finale.

Such a stubbornly hubristic creature was he; all who had known him believed he would never stray from this self-destructive pattern, and he himself had never found fault in his character. Even now, he still did not grasp the reality that he had brought this debacle upon himself.

He had cawed at a sudden drop, eyes flashing open again, and wings faltering as the sky grew ever-further. With the groaning of the two bots aspiring to pull him down, he released a moan of denial and slammed his eyes shut once more.

"No!" The crest on his forehead tipped back as he held his chin high. " _I will have my revenge_!"

The red eyes had creaked open again with his mouth as he hollered. Soon after, the sound transformed into a squawk. More bodies had latched onto the others in the collective objective to vanquish him. His shoulders and wings dropped down in stark determination, but his face tilted back further, refusing to see who was snatching his vague future from him. He yelled once more in the thrall of intensifying blue light, knowing that this beauty would end him.

He looked ever-beseechingly at the distant sky, still not understanding how he had ended up here when he had had all the possible power he desired. The groans of his prevailing enemies heightened, though over them all, he called to the fantasy that he had lost.

From his throat erupted the vain shout, " _I will have my victory_!"

From one bot dangling from his leg, came the confident retort, "Not today, Starscream!"

"Not ever!" Punctuated a noble voice attached to his other leg.

But the micro-trembles of the god-like being continued, rigid and struggling until the end. His final words were repeated in his mind like a promise, until the blue light enhanced to a blinding white that devoured him. Those words were then left as mere dead echoes. With eyes shutting and beholding an emptiness deeper than black, control slipped away from him. One ultimate shudder of his body and a twitch of his clawed fingers, then the dark sword slithered through his grasp, descending through the hole below and puncturing machinery with its razor, amethyst tip.

There was a brief reaction of electricity and fire that crackled below. However, he was beyond being conscious of his surroundings, and once he had been stripped of his extra wings and armour, his severely damaged body collapsed backwards and dropped. The limp form tilted upside-down, head prepared to strike the ground while his hands uselessly opened themselves to the sky. With indifference, multiple faces inclined to peer after him as he dropped into the hole they now ringed.

For a moment, he was destined to crash into the machinery where his ominous weapon had fallen. Then, at the last second, a large hand shot out to catch him by the ankle. It was not done out of care, however, but in the following of bare morals. The immobile body was as alone as it had ever been before, since only justice was the intention in curtailing his descent.

Mouth parted and arms now dangling, he swayed slightly like a fresh corpse. Raised from the hole and placed onto the callous metal by their feet, he crumpled with one arm curved over the edge. Rendered a completely defeated and powerless being though he was, from this moment in a different and unforeseen way, the fallen angel had truly been lifted.

* * *

Here as well, it was not done out of care. In the beginning, it was different, and their mercy was compelled, procedural- something done for organisation's sake.

The body of the Decepticon's former second-in-command was straightened up over a medical berth, wings pressed flat against cold metal with his arms and legs neatly lined up at his sides. Due to its habit of collapsing to the side, even Starscream's head was stabilized with a firm clamp. Likewise, each limb was clasped into place, as well as his chest and middle. The result was that the long-since immobile Decepticon was restrained.

Optimus's old companion passed a device over the undesirable patient. Ratchet sighed at the results that he had double-checked on more than one occasion. He glanced at the energy readings once again that, although faint in appearance, were foreign to him. Shaking his head in temporary defeat, he turned back to the ever-patient Optimus remaining just out of his work space.

"The result remains the same." Ratchet set the tool back among the assortment of others on a silver table. Behind him, the medical profile that Ratchet had created filled the largest monitor. Optimus and Ratchet turned to it now, re-examining the stable image of Starscream's processor that was corrupted by streaks of fluorescent blue. The largest blemish observed formed a shell around much of the memory storage compartment of his mind, a bright spot that blurred the inner workings.  
"I must confess, Optimus," Ratchet continued after a pause. "I may be able to remove this energy, but I do not know what effect it would have on him, considering…"

He bent forward and flicked the image to the next slide of the profile. They viewed a generated line image of Starscream's nervous system equally streaked by the blue in broken strings, then an image of his internal organs also spotted with the energy.  
"…the extent of its reach," he finished.

Optimus gazed over the ever-still face of the comatose patient. He acknowledged that the expertise of the seasoned medic surpassed his in this situation, yet his own plans for a solution were already churning in his mind and had been ever since he had apprehended Starscream.

"I could seek the advice of other medical staff before taking further steps. To wake him without harming him." Catching Optimus's eyes again, Ratchet continued, "But, in the case that our hypothesis is correct, that he should awaken with damage to his memory drives…"

"Then there will be no trial," Optimus affirmed with each word calmly calculated. "If Starscream is to awaken with no recollection of his war crimes, then he cannot be accountable for them. He must then be treated as any other new form of life that emerges from the Well and be educated and given the opportunity to pursue whatever career he so desires."

Ratchet huffed and gestured in the direction of the body. "I already understand this, but consider his appearance!"

They didn't look this time in mentioning the recognizable, older body type that Starscream had readopted. There was no mistaking such a black head, red torso, and blue forearms. Had he been silver and thin, it still would have been an issue. These two bodies had been present in the first and second halves of the war; they were equally famous.

Optimus needed only to say, "We both are aware of reformatting procedures."

"A Decepticon science that I have limited experience with." Though understanding that they were already holding secrets, Ratchet complied, "But, I suppose it wouldn't be anywhere near my most difficult project…"

"But you informed me that you had already decided to seek the help of others with medical expertise, did you not?"

Ratchet sighed, "I had preferred not to get any sort of Decepticon involved, in the case that Starscream is restored as an amnesiac and we need to maintain such a secret of this magnitude. It only invites blackmail, to include Decepticons into any secret."

Optimus passed his optics over the limpness of Starscream's form, which seemed so harmless now under the light of the room and the dire results on the screen. Looking at him, he was sure that the damage was deep. Perhaps he would never be able to walk again, and there was even the possibility that his organs would not be able to function well once he was taken out of this peculiar stasis lock. The blue of his optics met the blue of the diagrams, then drifted to the smaller, adjacent monitors. The wires attached to Starscream allowed for the slightest brain wave activity to appear on one of those screens. Somewhere in this being was a flicker of consciousness, some form of potential life. What it would turn out to be remained to be seen, if it would even survive. Like the dim orange glow in an ash flake, it was something that could burn out from the huff of a breeze.

"But that is what you are hoping for, am I correct, Optimus?" Ratchet cast his optics upward to hold Optimus' gaze. "You want him to forget who he is."

There was no escaping his friend's attentive observation. Optimus replied, "I fear that even with therapeutic treatment, he would never change his ways. In such a case, he would have to remain in Trypticon Prison for as long as he functions."

"Something that excuse for a bot probably deserves," Rachet muttered to himself. After a shake of his head, he raised his voice back to conversational. "I see. You would rather produce new life than imprison another in misery forever."

Optimus went on, "I would recommend maintaining his flight capabilities, in the event that he could use them to aid us. It is also possible that he would retain muscle memory, even in the absence of his true memories."

"Optimus…" In his normal, exasperated tone, the name was dragged out. "Out of all things, you want to keep Starscream airborne? It is precisely what made him dangerous during the war, and it is the foremost reason Megatron kept him as his first lieutenant. With it, Starscream is better equipped to threaten innocent civilians."

"I am sure that you understand that this would only occur if he regained his memories." Then, with a falling tone, Optimus said, "If he is instead found guilty at trial, then we shall remove this capability."

Ratchet nodded slowly. It seemed an appropriate decision to him, one that he preferred as a course of justice. But then, he sighed, "As for a possible surgery to modify his appearance, I'm sure that you had a name in mind. Let me guess, it was Knockout, wasn't it? I understand that he certified himself just recently, but to just go to him and ask… Are you certain that he could be trusted with such a secret?"

"I doubt that there would be any advantage for him to disclose it."

Ratchet's continuously disgruntled hand flicked out sideways. "There is still nothing that can be done about his voice box. As it is an organ, it cannot be modified like the rest of him can be."

"Starscream's education would include a focus on correcting certain speech patterns particular to him. Any other similarities will be dealt with by firm media confirmation of Starscream's termination. Even if something is to be recognized, this should be enough to cease all suspicions."

"You already have an entire plan, I wager." Ratchet rolled his eyes but sagged his posture in the way that revealed that he would cooperate. "Fine. We'll do it your way, although I'll never understand how you could forgive him to the point that you would put so much thought into his well-being."

With that said, Ratchet restarted. "If there is a choice, to remove the energy and restore all functions and his memory, or have him handicapped and an amnesiac… which would you prefer?"

Optimus paused. He had considered this before, but now came the time to reach a decision. He first asked, "Do you believe that there is no chance of physical recovery?"

"I believe that he would eventually regain his abilities, though I am not certain. Yet if he were to be able to regain full range of motion, then he would hypothetically be able to regain his memory as well. That is another risk."

"Then he shall be monitored," Optimus said. "And, you may decide when he is a risk based on your readings."

"I understand. But… to wake him from this state without removing the energy… I do have one idea of how to do it." Ratchet would not pretend to be incapable of fulfilling Optimus's wish. "If you recall the time when you were infected by the rust plague, when Bumblebee entered Megatron's mind via the cortical physic patch to obtain the cure, Megatron was stirred from his comatose state once he became self-aware."

"That is a fine idea." He blinked down to his reliable companion. "Then you will assemble a team to examine Starscream. If you believe that he will survive his awakening and be an amnesiac, then seek Knockout's aid in remodeling him. If all this is done, then I will contact our High Council, the former members of Team Prime, and others in high-ranking positions to notify them of his reconfiguration. We will change the reading of his life signal and create a false profile for him."

Ratchet finished his thought with a grumble, "So you can try to guide him to the path of good."

Then Ratchet turned to the touchpad, ready to perform immediately as he was expected. But he could not avoid putting in a final input. "You seem to have a lot of confidence that this will work, but try as you might, I doubt Starscream's nature can be changed. As a Cybertronian who was never oppressed, who joined the Decepticons at the height of his career out of pure ambition for even greater power… the mind of Starscream is clearly predisposed to narcissism and sadism, among over qualities. It may work, but I will not be astonished if he returns to his old habits of selfish ambition."

Ratchet pounded in his password and nodded once to himself.

"Yes, the only thing truly predictable about Starscream is his _unpredictability_. You should advise everyone you speak with to take caution when dealing with him, lest your plan lead to the unfortunate harm of others."

Optimus assured him, "To ensure that no one is harmed by this decision, he will always be kept under surveillance. His location and actions will be recorded and known. I will take the responsibility for it."

As Optimus was indeed not a current leader of Cybertron, Ratchet knew that he had the time to do all this. Yet the amount of effort required was so baffling that Ratchet could not grasp it himself.

"My concern is more than that his nature is unchangeable." Ratchet aimed to re-express himself in a more direct manner. "The issue is that the new life that you want to create, that blank slate, _will_ be overwritten. My honest belief is that it is in fact _inevitable_ that Starscream will regain both his physical abilities and his memories."

The reply that came was simply, "I am aware."

"If that was the case, then what do you hope to gain from all this? You made it clear that if he reattained his memories, he would be imprisoned. Why not just have us remove the energy and bring him back to himself as soon as possible? With a team, I can likely accomplish it. It would certainly save us the time and grief."

"My words were that he would only be imprisoned if he were found guilty at the final trial."

Ratchet guffawed, "So you _do_ believe in the possibility that Starscream could deemed innocent."

"Any bot who is shown to regret their actions serves no sentence," Optimus stated. "So, in the limited time we have, if we are able to imprint in him a personality that would contradict his original psyche, then perhaps it can override it. If Starscream convinces himself to change before the time of the trial, then he will regret his actions and be allowed to re-enter our society and provide us with his services."

"Even if your hope becomes reality, the dangers are endless, Optimus. One that I haven't mentioned, for example, is that before or after the trial, some revenge-crazed bot may learn the truth. The justice you oppose may occur, where Starscream is terminated instead of at least being protected in the confines of prison. Are you willing to face this risk as well?"

"All risks will be reduced with the strictness of our surveillance and the addition of guards to protect him," he replied. "Extra precaution will be taken, as I am cognizant of how he is viewed."

Ratchet knew that no matter what else he said as warning, to try to make Optimus fully see his concerns, would be lost on him. The noble Autobot was confident that they had a chance to do the impossible, and that it was a risk that was worth the consequences. Ratchet respected it- how could he not, but the sigh of exasperation that he gave was tainted with his reluctance.

Ratchet stared back at the immobilized Starscream. "Alright, Optimus," he said, finally bringing up a list of contacts on screen, "let us start enacting this mad plan."

* * *

 **Notes:**

I am not going to use the Transformers words for body parts in the narration, but I will use them in dialogue.

The standard Cybertronian language is genderless, so whenever he or she is used, the speakers are actually using a single word (like the Finnish hän). She will be a pronoun determined based on voice and not always body type (RiD 2015 showed a variety). Unless specified, assume that Cybertronian is the language being spoken.

All chapters will be edited by **CastingWhiteShadows**.


	2. P1: Chapter 1: Their Mercy

_Begin Part One: The Awakening_

* * *

Only about two month's time had passed, but Optimus was quite used to the new presence sharing the space of his home. Quiet and usually asleep, the one they called Moonwing essentially lived on a berth in the main room. He was presently there; the now predominantly black, thin flier lay like a flat and unmoving shadow whilst Optimus read throughout the night. When the morning sun rose at last, the fresh rays made the silver detailing of Moonwing glint.

This was the time when Optimus rose and strode to him with heavy, though steady, steps. When a hand fell over the smooth plating of his shoulder, Moonwing knew he had drifted off again. His eyes creaked open with regretful hesitation to brave the sunlight seeping through the glass. An incomprehensible mumble tumbled from his mouth, then he shut his eyes again in the hope of a few more minutes of rest. However, the hand was persistently gentle, shaking him.

"It is time to awaken," came the rumble from over him.

The tone was firm enough to rouse him to obey. Moonwing blinked in defeat and looked to Optimus's significantly larger figure. After lying there for a few more moments, both he and Optimus realized that he was too fatigued to move. Moonwing pushed a lopsided smile and faintly replied, "Ah, it would appear…"

"I understand."

"Bad morning."

Strength was often something his body was deficient of. Even when Moonwing recharged daily, very unusual among Cybertronians, he never felt that he fully recovered. Optimus reached for him, and it hurt when the hands dug under him. The pressure forced him to flinch, but Moonwing understood that Optimus was being as gentle as he could. He was seated upright, though when the hands left, Moonwing slouched from the weight of his own wings.

Optimus had left to bring him a square cup of liquid energon. Often he needed such boosts, so he straightened Moonwing's slouch and put the cup to his mouth. Moonwing's hand made an effort to hold the container itself, but it dropped and rolled over. Moonwing could not lift his arm so long as this smudge of black appeared in his vision.

Moonwing glanced away and curled his fingers, doing nothing else when the large thumb swiped a stray drop off his face for him. "Thank you…" he murmured as an uncomfortable heat rose in his face. "Optimus… Sorry… I don't know why today again…"

"It is nothing for you to concern yourself about. Come, before you are late."

Moonwing sought out the clock behind him and realized that he had over-rested. Optimus's hands pressed painfully into him again, one against his back and wings, the other under his legs. Lifted suddenly, a rush of dizziness grasped him, forcing him to go limp. Moonwing dropped his head against red metal, slitting his eyes as they neared the window. In the faint reflection, he could see his feeble form staring back, the white rings of his irises tightening.

Optimus lowered him into a hovering chair and fixed his legs onto the footrest. The aches in Moonwing's joints re-announced themselves with dull throbbing, but he took a moment to blink at the view below. Eyes shifting from right to left, he scanned the labyrinth of roads tucked in between the plentiful buildings. The sun fell upon the bustling of bots like a glaze, and far away a yellow-bathed jogger was tracked by his eyes.

He flattened his gleaming wings against the backrest and let the smaller two wings of his lower back fit through the hole. Settled, he observed a flock of Cybertronian sunbirds swoop into the city just as Optimus towed him away. They headed to the door with only one pause for Optimus to fetch the prepaid card for the groundbridge station. Every school day he passed it to Moonwing, allowing him to teleport out of the city.

The card was tucked between Moonwing's fingers. Just as that hand clenched it with slow care, Optimus announced, "I have plans with Jazz today."

Moonwing murmured, "Okay."

"As I will not be back until late, you will stay with Ultra Magnus after school and accompany him home. I shall pick you up there."

Moonwing nodded. Optimus directed him out the door before resetting the lock. Up the hall, Moonwing spotted another door opening. Light footsteps were heard, but he already had memorized the doors of every neighbour. He knew it was Arcee before she came out.

Arcee hardly ever paid him much attention, but whenever Moonwing saw her appear, he felt a boost of delight. Everyone else who lived around them seemed to like her, so he assumed that she had likeable qualities. For one, she was always dutiful and swift; responsible. Her focus came as an inspiration to the curious Moonwing, although it was also a tad intimidating to him.

Arcee was indeed a busy individual, but she did not have a need to stay near the _experiment_. Obligated to treat him with only kindness, however, she waved at him once he waved at her. His face was still recognizable to her as someone she hated, but Arcee still knew he was honest when he looked at her with in a friendly way. That was what made it all the more confusing and vexing. He shouldn't be looking at her in that way. For although Arcee acted as Optimus had told her to, she could not imagine him as another being.

Part of her didn't want him to smile at all. The burning ache in her chest wanted the plan to fail, for him to be imprisoned and incapable of flight. Misery- and then her satisfaction-

 _But it is not the way of Autobots._

She departed down the stairs, leaving them to themselves. On the ground floor, she pattered away before the elevator doors opened and revealed them again. Moonwing looked after her, then examined the area filled with lounging bots bearing a variety of weapons. Never having had the need to talk to them, their individuality was lost upon Moonwing. They were a sea of Elite Guard emblems to him, faced yet faceless while they all straightened up upon glimpsing Optimus Prime. All except one, an Earth-based sportscar Elite Guard, who continued to lean against the wall while tapping his cellular device.

Moonwing perked at the sight of his own Guard, always excited to see him each day. Smokescreen shifted at the sight of them, hastily tucking the device away. Clear and respectful, Smokescreen proclaimed, "Good morning, Optimus!"

Then, to Moonwing, he dropped into informal Cybertronian speech. "Moon, how's it going?"

Moonwing replied in a feathery whisper, "Fine."

"Good stuff, good stuff. Right, let's get going!"

Moonwing adjusted his hold on the card while Smokescreen hopped around to take possession of him. After bidding Optimus farewell, Moonwing was led through the sliding doors, thereupon entering that hustling world of the outside. As it was every time, he was struck all at once by the sounds, sights, and energy. His audio receptors gradually began to smart, but he did nothing for it. Complacently, he sat still and peered at the stomping Elite Guards who wandered around the square. Even without Optimus's presence, these Guards focused on monitoring the scene, observing the tourists with hands never far from their pistols, batons, or blades.

Flicking his attention from them to the tourists. Moonwing caught snippets of dialogue and took in the various body forms. His gaze lingered on two bots fawning over the most common of city animals, taking pictures and speaking in a Cybertronian dialect that he was unfamiliar with.

Out of curiosity, he mumbled to Smokescreen, "Where are they from?"

"Huh? Oh." The Autobot pushing him glanced to where his head was inclined. Listening for a moment, Smokescreen said, "Erm, one of the old colonies I guess. The Hub? I'm not sure, but I can say that they sure aren't Velocitronian."

Moonwing turned his head away and absentmindedly read the signs of the shops on the street. They pressed on along the sidewalk, sliding carefully through the crowds of shoppers and bumbling visitors. Beside them, vehicles like those he had seen from the window now roared past them. Up close, they were even less attractive. The onslaught of brakes screeching and speeders ripping by stressed his spark, and when they drifted and swerved partially onto the sidewalks, it was all he could do but clutch the card and close his eyes.

The signs and interiors of the shops were used as distractions for the jumps of his pulse. After a time, they reached their destination of the Iaconian public warpstation. Joining a line, they waited for a short time until Smokescreen retrieved the card from Moonwing. With a tap against the scanner, his predetermined coordinates were received. The portal flashed to life anew, then soon they appeared on a flat square of metal.

Fixated before them was a granite-coloured building, neither tall nor particularly wide, but welcoming in its modesty. It was just another ordinary day, with Smokescreen taking him to school and accompanying him to every class. A sign by the road read, _Kalis Elementary School_ , and its title was also printed above the school's entrance.

Smokescreen pushed Moonwing through the halls that were so pleasantly heated, and tranquil. Knowing the schedule, Smokescreen deposited him on time among the Newsparks already in class. Then, he strolled to the back and pulled out his phone.

Moonwing watched him take out the device again. He wondered why Smokescreen was so occupied with it, since his hands were always on it whenever they weren't pushing him places. He turned back to his desk just as Smokescreen, not yet touching games or other chats, fulfilled his duty and messaged Optimus.

 _Got him to school. He asked about a dialect again today, but didn't say anything else. It still looks like he's afraid of drivers, but he's doing fine._

It was more of a report, since Optimus would not answer him nor did he have a need to. After the regular update, Smokescreen switched back to usual activities. He glanced at Moonwing occasionally, acting as though he wasn't really spying on him. Smokescreen kept pretending he was too bored with the lessons to bother listening to them. As far as Moonwing knew, Smokescreen was just attached to his social media.

Smokescreen did see that Moonwing looked bored as well. Every time he was in language class, he would stop paying attention and start searching the Datanet to teach himself something else. Standard Cybertronian and its complex grammar just came to Moonwing too easily. Now, Smokescreen peered closely at what he was searching, seeing that Moonwing was looking up the unique vocabulary of other Cybertronian dialects.

The chime signaled the end of this lesson. Smokescreen gathered him then, pushing the hovering chair in the direction of the next class. On the way, Moonwing couldn't help but report to him, "It wasn't Hubian."

"What wasn't?" Smokescreen feigned ignorance.

"Those tourists."

Smokescreen's tone implied that his gaze was wandering. "Oh, so you just learned that in class?"

Moonwing specified, "In the classroom, but not in the lesson…"

Then Moonwing abandoned the subject, believing that his bodyguard didn't care. He decided that Smokescreen didn't even remember their previous and short conversation.

The next class of the day's four had always been his least favourite. The Cybertronian Culture course was essential, however, for it aided the Newsparks in supporting themselves after graduation. The history class was more interesting as it at least provided videos and images. Sometimes, it was of shocking things, but other times they just learned about the new animals emerging on Cybertron that used to exist in the past. And Moonwing liked small creatures, ever since Smokescreen gave him the hobby of trying to spot new ones whenever they were outside. Though he had never touched an animal before, Moonwing hoped that he would get to in the future.

Moonwing was ready to drag himself through the lesson, distracting himself as he had before. It was never his assumption that anything would change, and he did not notice the change at first when it came. Moonwing did not see the new bot striding to the front of the class as Smokescreen tucked him in behind a desk. Smokescreen was sharp-eyed however, and soon breathed behind him, "Really? A vehicon teach?"

 _Vehicon_? Moonwing flicked his head up. _A Decepticon trooper_?

Just as reported, a vehicon was stationed before them with a posture straightened from silent confidence. Due to a face incapable of movement, it was impossible to determine its mood or even where it looked. Suppressing a twitch, Moonwing listened to Smokescreen, who added in a whisper, "What could a vehicon know about Cybertronian culture anyway? They weren't forged here or anything. Weird, right?"

Moonwing whispered, "I heard that thousands were made in the War… Is it true that all vehicons were Decepticons?"

"Oh yeah." Smokescreen's speech, although still quiet, spiked with enthusiasm. "Man, back on Earth, Team Prime dented up _hundreds_ of these guys! Never seemed to be an end to them, though they weren't ever hard to beat. They're terrible shots, for one…"

The discomfort in Moonwing was turning into a pang of fear, even as Smokescreen went on in his amusement. Moonwing remembered the history teacher talking about the cruel atrocities committed by Decepticons. With Smokescreen's confirmation, that meant this new teacher would have fought for the Decepticon cause, hoping to create a society of treachery and murder.

 _Serving that merciless gladiator, Megatron…_

Smokescreen lingered for a while longer, and Moonwing felt comforted by the weapon he carried.

 _If there is a bomb or something… he will save us._

After seeing that the room had been properly filled, the vehicon turned its black face and took them all in with a red, slitted eye. Moonwing froze when the head stopped its rotation in order to face his direction. Although, he realized it was not him that the silver jet vehicon was watching, but Smokescreen, who was now heading to the back of the room. Still, without revealing emotion, its gaze lingered.

And based upon Smokescreen's boasting, Moonwing felt certain that the vehicon was seething in rage. Decepticons were marked by violent emotions, he thought, and this one in particular had more reason to attack Smokescreen. After all, a silver jet vehicon, he had learned, were some of the very few surviving vehicons of the devious Starscream's armada on Earth. It appeared that vehicon was looking directly at the reason why only a single-digit number of them remained alive.

 _Did it hear at all that Smokescreen said?_

The pause seemed to last for an eternity while dread bubbled up inside of Moonwing. Even if vehicons were as unskilled as Smokescreen explained, there was no telling what sort of weapons a vehicon could have or support from Decepticon criminals hiding in Cybertron's social and physical underworld. In the new society, there was no telling what such a staring vehicon was capable of.

However, Moonwing was absolutely unaware of the humor Smokescreen was taking from it all. Of course, Smokescreen was amused by the idea of a vehicon being a teacher, but the situation was more hilarious than that. Moonwing was always nervous and shy, but Smokescreen stifled a laugh now in seeing how frightened he was getting about a vehicon, the most minor of threats to him.

Smokescreen often forgot who he was dealing with, since he didn't have bad history with the war criminal. Even if this made Smokescreen the ideal and unbiased guardian, he couldn't help but chuckle internally at the day's surprise. When Moonwing twisted back to check him, Smokescreen threw on a reassuring face to calm him, but the entertained thoughts continued.

 _Starscream, terrified of a single vehicon! A vehicon of all things!_

Such words would certainly form part of the story that Smokescreen would tell the others later.


	3. Chapter 2: The Thornless Vehicon

The vehicon spoke in a manner that Moonwing and Smokescreen had not expected. With a voice calming and clear like Optimus's, yet informal and lacking his sternness, the vehicon smoothly began, "Welcome, everyone. Your teacher has transferred to Kaon, and I will be your culture teacher until graduation. Call me _Carnation_."

Moonwing blinked, but was suspicious about the silky voice that could be masking dark motives. Although, he was interested by the English word that had infiltrated the Cybertronian speech, since it was one he had not heard before. Everyone watched the vehicon, faces scrunched, as it turned and collected an electronic marker. Writing on the board in red, it curled the letters to spell the English word and Cybertronian phonetics in decorative script.

"Cybertronian and Earth history are intertwined, so it goes without saying that I will discuss Earth as well in this classroom," Carnation elaborated. "You have all learned about plants and flowers before, haven't you?"

Stirred with confusion, Starscream and the others were noticeably conflicted on how to feel. But addressed, they obediently nodded. The vehicon had said that it was their teacher after all, and no other teacher had come in to deny it.

"A carnation," he said, "is a type of flower that resembles a rose. I chose this name because of my love of Earth flora." His hands gently clasped each other. "Although small, flowers appear in colours not naturally found on Cybertron. Yet in modern times, art, designs, and colours used on Cybertron have been inspired by Earth nature."

After turning to the board, he collected the digital marker and swiftly sketched a form beside his name. He drew a flower like a spinning kaleidoscope on the board. Carnation, as though he had done nothing, went on and inquired, "Has anyone been to Crystal City before? If you have, you might be able to think of some art or souvenirs that are inspired by flowers."

Catering to their eagerness to share, the vehicon was satisfied by the hands that went up. Though with some hesitation, the students' eyes began to blink with brightness. They did not usually get to speak so much in this class. Starscream listened as each new, brief story was relayed with more excitement than the last. The attention was drifting away from the teacher and his _vehiconness_ , for he uttered only few words while letting them speak.

Smokescreen was surprised how easily the vehicon had engaged them. Carnation guided the topics and brought up images for them to regard, but his input was so minimalist and fluid that no one considered him for too long.

Smokescreen thought that it was all rather clever. The vehicon was earning their trust, and Smokescreen saw what appeared to be a container of tiny gifts to the side. Had someone sent the weak vehicon to do this? Perhaps some Decepticons were trying to catch him off-guard to assassinate Moonwing. Only Decepticons could see Moonwing's life signal for what it truly was, able to hunt down the ignorant and handicapped flier.

Smokescreen furrowed his brows. He had been relaxed since nothing had happened ever since he had started guarding Moonwing. What if something happened while he was being lazy? Optimus would never forgive him or trust him again. No, Smokescreen had to do the job given to him the best that he could. Holding up his phone, Smokescreen started messaging Optimus.

 _A vehicon posing as a teacher just came into his class. Awfully suspicious and goes by the name "Carnation"._

Moonwing no longer seemed worried. His wings spread out into a relaxed position as he looked at the pictures on the board. He was fascinated; Moonwing leaned forward to admire the colours of healthy flowers against the blue Earth sky. He had seen some Earth movies, yet to be presented to nature in this way caused his spark to soar. Between the speeches of the students, Carnation's voice snuck in with its warmth and steadiness. The vehicon spoke with excitement bleeding into his words, and while Smokescreen couldn't hear it, Moonwing did and became inspired.

It was just a small thought, but it came with simple, innocent intent:

 _I want to see a real flower some day_.

The vehicon lifted the golden chain of his necklace just as Optimus replied to Smokescreen. Moonwing shifted and peered closer, realizing that he had been too busy thinking of the teacher's vehiconness before to notice the dazzling jewelry hanging around his neck. The chain was smooth with golden, curved leaves growing out its sides. At the lowest tip, the necklace was weighed down with a flower of a deep red colour and was carved with grooves.

Carnation's voice seemed to purr as he described souvenirs of carved jewelry, made from stained glass or metals, or true gems. But Smokescreen was now desperately trying to reach Ultra Magnus for a profile on a silver jet vehicon named Carnation.

Moonwing smiled slightly in learning that ruby and yellow diamond from a distant planet composed Carnation's necklace. He brushed his chest, shocked that he felt so content at school. He had never found this place and its bots interesting or particularly likable before. He was friends with no one, preferring just to talk to Smokescreen. This vehicon was the first bot he felt something for apart from the Autobots that took care of him.

Glancing back, Moonwing wanted to check if Smokescreen was as awed by the lesson as he was. All he saw was Smokescreen with a neutral expression, focused on his phone still. Moonwing tossed his head back to the front to look at the next pictures of gems. He very much wanted to have one of those colourful stones now, and he started wishing he could go travel to Crystal City. Not that he was brave enough to ask anyone to tow him there, however. He was already taking too much from them, he thought.

Smokescreen read Ultra Magnus's reply. _There is no vehicon by the name of Carnation._

Immediately Smokescreen felt the energy building within him. He was excited for a scrap, for some action, but then he read the rest of the message.

 _That would be AC-776. The Citizen Log reveals three online vehicons of the type you reported. Only one passed trial, who appears to be the vehicon with you now. The profile includes studies in Kaon and teaching experience in the Predacon district._

All at once, Smokescreen was perplexed. With his energy fading, he looked at the gently speaking vehicon with confusion.

 _So wait, he's actually qualified?_ he thought with some blinks. There was still a chance of a threat, but it was greatly reduced now.

Straight from the Hydrax Plateau, Ultra Magnus's message came with the final stamp of confirmation: _AC-776's signal was detected in your proximity_.

Smokescreen relaxed his secretly tensed body. Now, he was just filled with wonder that such a bright vehicon teacher truly existed. Somehow, in about five years after the Great War, a vehicon had already obtained a résumé strong enough to be chosen for Kalis. He put his phone to the side and observed the progression of the lesson.

Moonwing was pleased to see that Smokescreen finally seemed to be paying attention. When the students were told to write up a short essay, for once Moonwing was enthusiastic about a school task. It even came as a slight disappointment when the class ended suddenly. At the chime, Smokescreen manifested behind him, laughing quietly, "Okay, somehow that was the best teacher you've ever had. Guess I ate my words! Really sold me on the gem gizmos."

Before anyone departed, Carnation waved and called, "Ah, hold on, my students!"

The silver vehicon uncovered the container that had hitherto been ignored. Since Moonwing had never noticed it, he watched wide-eyed as Carnation placed it on a shelf. With continued merriness, Carnation said, "In my gratitude to be here today with you, please take one gift home with you. Let us have a wonderful remainder of the semester with each other."

Smokescreen jested to Moonwing, "I wonder if I will get one. I was a good student today, wasn't I?"

Objects smaller than the palm of Moonwing's hand were taken from the box and placed into the grasp of each departing student. Curiosity arose within him, and Moonwing straightened his back to try to get a better view. But he couldn't see into the box, too low while seated in his hover chair, so he merely raised his hand and waited to see what he would get. The sleekness of a gem entered his palm, but Moonwing was looking up directly into Carnation's red-orange eye. He had never been so close to a vehicon before and had only ever seen them in the distance. Nevertheless, he didn't look long, afraid to offend the teacher.

Carnation then looked to Smokescreen. There came that terror again that froze Moonwing's spark as he remembered his previous thoughts. Smokescreen, a vehicon-killer, stood only metres apart from the faceless teacher. Moonwing desperately wanted to know what Carnation was thinking, but then he only lifted another gem from the box.

"You as well," Carnation hummed. "Thank you."

Moonwing looked back to Smokescreen's eyes, seeing them widen before he opened his hand. Moonwing now looked at his own spherical gemstone, which was made up of various, colliding colours. It was a gem that Carnation had not taught them about. He looked to his teacher, but it was still impossible to tell the vehicon's true emotions. Smokescreen walked on without any visible concern, leaving Moonwing to examine his gem more. He turned it constantly between his fingers, which Smokescreen must have been doing with his as well, since they were not going down the hall straight anymore.

"I wonder how much all of those cost?" Smokescreen revelled. "It's not glass, I think…"

Moonwing seemed quite entranced by the colours. Smokescreen couldn't help but smile, then ask, "Can I see yours?"

Moonwing passed it back carefully to him. Smokescreen scrutinized it for cameras, recorders, or any other kind of technology, but found it was simply a clear and beautiful gem like his. He gave it back for Moonwing to play with, but decided to sneak in a lecture of caution.

"Strange that a regular teacher would have so much shanix. Wonder where he got it from?" Smokescreen _hmm_ ed. "Not that I want to say anything bad about the guy, but vehicons and Decepticreeps in general have a bad rep for theft."

 _You aren't being serious, are you?_ Moonwing furrowed his brows and looked back at Smokescreen in worry.

Smokescreen thought that maybe Moonwing had been scared enough for one day, so he restarted, "Oh no, no, you got it wrong. I'm not being serious. I kinda like him actually. An alright bot."

Moonwing sighed. He looked on with eagerness as they neared the doors to the park. Most students headed here for the break, but the area was large enough that they could isolate themselves from the others. Once Smokescreen pushed him out into the garden of metals, they strayed to the corner and looked over the shining sculptures.

Here, Smokescreen said, "So, off to Ultra Magnus' tonight."

Moonwing tightened up. "I wish Bumblebee was still around here. Now Optimus has replaced him with…"

"Oh?" Smokescreen laughed softly. "You telling me you liked Bumblebee more than Ultra Magnus?"

Nervous about the confession, Moonwing stammered, "Please don't tell Optimus but… Ultra Magnus kind of frightens me. He always looks angry."

"Hey that's normal, so don't worry about it."

"I know but…"

"Look," Smokescreen said, "it won't be forever. Just until O.P. thinks you've learned enough. It's not like they're going to make you memorize the _entire_ code!"

"I still don't understand the importance."

"It's for having good morals, knowing what's good and bad."

"What does repeating the laws verbatim have to do with that?"

"Just think of it as a bonus language class." Smokescreen shrugged.

Moonwing muttered, "I already do. It's the only way I can bear it."

"Well, you can be thankful that you speak better than all the other Newsparks in your class."

"Smokescreen?"

"Yep?"

"Don't tell Optimus about what I said about law studies either. I don't want to disappoint him."

"Yeah, sure."

Moonwing turned the gem, letting the sun strike it to make the iridescent colours glimmer. It was an awfully nice present, even if the vehicon somewhat spooked him.

"I guess this is my first present," Moonwing murmured. "…Now that I think about it."

"What? No way!" Smokescreen protested. "Optimus buys you things all the time!"

"Just the things I need, or the things he wants me to have," Moonwing continued absentmindedly.

"Seriously? I mean, maybe he just doesn't know what you want? Didn't you ever ask him for anything?"

"Well… why would I? I-I'm not complaining. Sorry… I don't _need_ anything at all."

"Come on, Optimus's super cool and nice- look, he's a _Prime_ for the sake of Solus! He would definitely take the time to do something for you if you're not happy. It's not like he's busy with a war right now!"

"I hate having to bother him all the time…" Moonwing mumbled. "And it's not like I'm _not_ happy… I am."

Smokescreen tapped his chest. "I got my wallet in there with my phone. After school, I'm going to buy you something."

"There is no time. I have to study with-"

"I'll just drop it off at your place when you get back. I can text Optimus."

"But I just got a presen-"

"Come on, it's bad enough that a former Decepticon beat us to giving you your first real gift. I'll find you something real nice."

Moonwing didn't know where to put his gaze. He dropped his eyes to the ground and gulped, "Th-thank you, Smokescreen."

"Hey though, _this_ I'm telling Optimus. It's no problem for us. You're our responsibility, so of course we're going to make you happy."

Heating up, he stuttered, "But r-really, I'm fine- I'm not unhappy. It's nice at Optimus's place. You can't tell him because he will think he's doing something wrong, or that I'm too n-needy…"

"But maybe everyone's just being too strict with you, you know? You need friends, not lecturers."

"But _you're_ my friend."

"Yeah but, you need more than me, and I should be treating you even better. Since you're our responsibility, we have to raise you right, which can't happen if we're too distant."

Moonwing groaned, "Oh, Smokescreen… this is all too much-"

"Bring it down to a nickname already! And you're still using too many formal particles with me. I use informal language with you- didn't you just say we're friends?"

"But you're an Elite Guard warrior, so I wasn't sure…"

"Just call me Smoke, Smokey- whatever. Just like everyone else usually does. Well, everyone 'cept Magnus and Optimus. Got it, Moony?"

"I'll try…"

Smokescreen proclaimed, "Great! Now, is there anywhere you want to go? We could stay here, but I think we've got enough time to take the groundbridge back to Iacon and look around for gift ideas. You could tell me what interests you, then I'll choose one of them and surprise you later!"

"But teleporting is expensive, and-"

"Nah, you're not choosing. I'm taking you whether you like it or not!"

Smokescreen grabbed the handles of his chair and trotted back into the building with him. Moonwing had a feeling that they might be late for the next class, but then came that light flutter again of joy. He hadn't had anything in particular to look forward to in a while, so he was thankful for Smokescreen's generosity. Unexpectedly, Moonwing wondered if they could go to Crystal City together someday. He dared not mention a trip as expensive as that now, but it was a delightful thought.

 _Smoke, Smokey…_

He shook his head to himself.

It was all too strange referring to the Guard with a diminutive name. Such a thing would take some getting used to. Nonetheless, he was warmed to know that Smokescreen cared more about his needs than it had seemed before.

* * *

It had been much too difficult to admit to wanting anything, but Smokescreen revealed that he knew "exactly what to get him". Moonwing felt heated up in embarrassment for being so secretly excited for the present. Thinking about what it might be all day made the last lessons feel especially long.

Smokescreen kept their gemstones safe until the end of the school day. Then, he passed Moonwing's back to him for him to caress on the way to the exit. Moonwing had started to daydream, thus was terribly startled when a secretary hopped out in front of them.

"Excuse me!" he gasped. "Sorry, but, kindly stay for a while longer. Moonwing."

The bot looked from Smokescreen to him.

"Your culture teacher would like to speak with you in his office. Third floor, room twelve."

Moonwing froze as Smokescreen replied, "What for?"

"Carnation only mentioned that it was a personal matter, important for Moonwing's future."

"Ah-hah… Well then, let's see what he has to say," Smokescreen answered, though Moonwing watched a serious look cross his face and transform his mouth into a frown. Despite his own confusion, Moonwing wondered why Smokescreen's expression had turned so grim.

 _So despite what he said, he actually distrusts that vehicon?_

Clutching the gem and tightening his mouth, Moonwing sat troubled as they moved deeper into the school. The halls grew empty and silent once more, just as they had been this morning. The elevator they entered was then insufferably quiet. Starscream wanted to speak to his Guard, but he was at a loss for specific words. The doors opened up to the third floor, then they exited the elevator.

Here, there was an illusion of peace. It was his first time above the main level, and despite his worry, Moonwing recognized that it was sunnier and cozier up here. Reminded of the sun and heat in Optimus's apartment, Moonwing felt a twist of regret inside. Maybe he had complained too much and he shouldn't have made Smokescreen want to buy him gifts. Optimus was already giving him such nice things every day.

 _It's a good home. I have it better than a lot of bots. Why did I try to demand more from them?_

Sometimes an office door was left open, revealing a busy teacher within as they passed by. Knowing that they weren't alone up here eased both of them. Surely, no former Decepticon would try anything when there were others in earshot of screams on this sun-kissed level.

The door for room twelve was open. When they appeared at the threshold, the vehicon's head lifted. His voice and gesturing arm was friendly, encouraging Smokescreen to walk inside.

"Please, here is great." He indicated the area in front of his desk.

Smokescreen placed Moonwing there, then pulled up a chair for himself.

"Now…" Carnation glanced at a monitor that had its back to them. "Smokescreen? Yes. Would you mind closing the door?"

"Oh, sure thing."

Moonwing was stunned that the vehicon had known his Guard's name, but Smokescreen assumed that it was just written in the profile the vehicon was reading.

Once the door had been closed, Carnation focused upon Moonwing. However, Moonwing was distracted by his necklace, at least until he remembered a command from Ultra Magnus about making eye contact.

"I was looking through my students' profiles when I found something incredibly interesting," the vehicon explained. "You excel in all classes and seem to be quite the intelligent student. When I investigated further, I found in some teacher notes that you don't participate verbally in the lessons, but if required to do an oral assignment, you request to do it in private. There is nothing in your physical description that discusses a damaged voice box, so it is clear that it is your choice to not speak, as it was today. "

Moonwing slowly hunched his back.

"I discovered the reason in the notes," Carnation said. "You don't speak in public because you sound similar to Starscream. You told your teachers that you are afraid of harm befalling you because of this."

Moonwing cringed to hear it said aloud by another. He could admit it himself, but the name _Starscream_ uttered by someone else made him jump.

Carnation then continued, "But surely, there is no need for concern. Every Cybertronian should be aware of his demise by now."

When he fell silent, Moonwing knew that Carnation was expecting him to finally converse with him. Smokescreen wasn't shushing him either. He steadied himself with a breath, then murmured, "My fear remains because of what happened to me… The reason why I am like this."

 _It's fine_ , he assured himself. _Just tell him_.

"You see, when I was forged, I had the misfortune of resembling him," Moonwing sighed. "Someone threw a shock explosive at me not long after I emerged from the Well."

Smokescreen always felt comforted whenever these words were spoken. Moonwing's mind could not imagine anything more grand and horrible than what he believed happened to him. It never strayed to question coincidences, trusting the news and Optimus wholeheartedly.

Carnation stated, "So this is the cause of your injury."

"Yes… I was almost killed, but the medic of the High Council saved me. Ratchet. Ratchet and Optimus decided to reformat me, to protect me, but my body is severely damaged on the inside."

Smokescreen nodded slowly beside him. Moonwing felt slightly comforted by it.

"Because of that," he went on, "my nervous system is impaired... my organs are sensitive... If any single one bot panicked and attacked me again, I am certain that would be the end of me."

Carnation paused after hearing him. Then, with the ever gentleness of his voice, he sighed, "Firstly, you may use informal Cybertronian with me. Secondly, now, I see how this could happen since I myself knew Starscream. You sound similar to him, though your tone differs. Nevertheless, it is clear to any sensible bot that you are not him. I don't think you need to worry anymore, especially since the media has been informing the public about Starscream's death for so long."

Moonwing realized he was still staring deeply into Carnation's eye as he spoke. He looked away in embarrassment, stammering, "Ah, sorry… Even with Smokescreen accompanying me, I can't shake off the worry. Al-also, I didn't mean to drop all this upon you."

"On the contrary, this is precisely why we needed to talk, Moonwing. From my experience, I can easily tell when there is something disturbing the mind of one of my students." Carnation looked to Smokescreen. "Do you know what he wants to do after he graduates?"

"Sure, ah…" Smokescreen glanced at Moonwing. "Well, now that I think about it, I have no idea."

Carnation nodded solemnly. "Precisely. Moonwing has also apparently not been completing assignments in any class about his future goals. It shows how deep the issue has become, for he has not revealed his plans to anybody.

 _Issue_? Moonwing had known about the problem, but it sounded all so grave now when spoken. He had never worried because he knew that Optimus wouldn't let him struggle after graduation. Surely, he had thought, there would be plenty of jobs in the developing Cybertron.

Carnation addressed him softly, "You haven't yet decided what you want to do with your life, right, Moon?"

Smokescreen inclined forward and tried to get a better look at him. Moonwing hid the gem in his hand and bowed his head in his increasing embarrassment, not wanting to worry Smokescreen at all.

"Er, ah… It's fine," Moonwing insisted. "I just… haven't found something I want to do yet."

"Hey, hey," Smokescreen breathed. "Is something the matter? Where's all this coming from?"

"W-well… the reason I don't do those assignments…" His chest quivered, and it hurt from the movement. "Well… I can hardly move, and I recharge every night and sometimes during the day because I get tired so easily. I don't know what kind of job I could possibly have since my working hours are limited. I'm unreliable. And then, with this voice, so many of my options are eliminated. I love speaking because despite my body, I can do this as well as anyone else. Although, despite how well I do in class… I can't possibly take any job in journalism, politics, teaching… No one wants to be reminded of… well, a _murderer_ when I talk."

Carnation spread his hands to him. "Listen now, Moon. I will never let any of student of mine struggle in the world after school is over. I am here to help you, and I promise that you will find your place. And I don't mean in just any job that tolerates you. You will find something special to you, and you will strive to fulfill some sort of dream. I understand the struggles of life and what you will face. It will be a difficult path, and you feel now that it is unfair that you have to struggle more than others. But hear me, it is all too easy to give up. The true test of character is to be strong and to endure challenges."

Moonwing dipped his head. He hadn't thought it himself, but he understood now that he _had_ found it unfair that his life was harder than the other students'. Moonwing could not help but mildly agree, "I feel useless sometimes… I want to do so much, to at least be able to walk. I… Ratchet said that if I worked at it, I should be able to restore my normal range of movement. I tried doing the exercises, but there was only little improvement since it… it hurts so much."

"Even if you can never walk again, there is no need for shame or disappointment. There were incredibly successful Cybertronians before the War and also humans on Earth who cannot walk. For example, you could pursue all careers in science."

"Oh, I-I don't know…"

"It might be too early to know what your passions are. Regardless, all the jobs you listed are not gone from you," Carnation stated. "My dear student, there are many Newsparks in this world, many immigrants, and many who don't know or have forgotten Starscream's voice. And again I stress, the media has been notifying the public about Starscream's termination daily in the Decepticon status reports. Bots will learn to accept you as an individual. Your Elite Guard will protect you too, so you should feel free to do as you like."

Carnation then leaned back in his chair.

"But. If Ratchet has said that you can recover, no matter how small the chance, why would you dream of giving up? Even if it hurts, if it tires you, you should keep trying and appreciate any small improvement. It is no competition, no race. This is you and your future, so let no one, including yourself, get in the way of it. You told me you would like to walk. With all of my spark, I would like you to safely strive for your goal. You can tell me about all that you do, how you feel- let me be your motivator. It is much easier to face challenges with support from others."

Smokescreen grasped his wing and insisted, "Hey, Moony… I had no idea you felt like this. You should've said something before. I'll support you all the way."

"I didn't want to be a bother, considering all that you do and did today for me…"

"You're no bother. Come on, no more keeping stuff to yourself, okay?"

"Mmm…"

"I know you didn't like it, but we can start practicing again," Smokescreen said. "I can hold you, try to get you used to standing."

Moonwing held part of his face, clinging its black and blue ridges. Smokescreen and the vehicon were getting far too sincere about something he wasn't particularly stressed about. He felt that nothing would change their attitude now though, so he quietly agreed.

"Always come see me for anything at all," the vehicon told him. "Actually, do you have a cell number?"

"Oh, no… I don't have a phone," Moonwing said. "I'm never away from someone else who has one so…"

"No social media accounts, I presume. In that case, you'll see me almost every day regardless. Anytime after school should be fine."

"Guess we don't give you enough independence either," Smokescreen remarked. "Something else to look into, right? Do you want your own phone?"

"Ahh…" Moonwing widened his eyes, repeatedly thinking that this was getting out of hand.

"Well," Smokescreen then continued. "We better get going at least. You ready to go?"

"Oh, uh, yeah…" Moonwing grasped the gemstone that had been lying between his legs.

"Thank you for coming by," Carnation concluded. "Please, take a little something before you go."

He lifted up a copper-woven basket from behind his monitor and placed it in front of them both. Inside were variously coloured shards of energon, shaped into Cybertronian animals.

Moonwing stammered, "Oh, I… I can't consume raw-"

But Carnation spared him any awkwardness. "They are sometimes bought and kept just as art pieces. Like collectibles even. You can keep whichever one you like. You too, Smokescreen, though do as you like with yours."

Taken off guard, Moonwing accidentally reached out with the hand still clasping the gem. He switched his hands awkwardly to select a red-coloured carving at random. Then, Moonwing asked, "C-Carnation… what kind of gem did you give everyone today?"

Although his face remained unchanged, his body and voice smiled.

"Why don't you try finding out yourself? It was my hope that you all would do the research, learning about other things along the way."

"Okay." Moonwing made a timid smile. "I'll tell you later what I believe it is. I might not have time tonight but…"

"Understood. Do your best, Moonwing. Always."

Smokescreen tucked his carving away and walked around to Starscream's back. Slowly pulling him back, Smokescreen exclaimed, "Thanks, teach'. See you tomorrow!"

Moonwing felt overwhelmed and pampered from the amount of gifts today, but felt it would be wrong to not show gratitude.

"Yes, see you, Carnation." He kept trying to smile at him.

And Carnation waved to them at the doorway, confirming, "Of course. Enjoy your day, you two."

When Smokescreen returned him to the hall, Moonwing stopped to think about that silver vehicon. He had said himself that he had known Starscream, so he had been under the Second-in-Command's armada. There was no knowing what Carnation had done in the past, but as a vehicon, maybe he had never had the chance to do anything particularly evil.

 _But he was so kind and wise_ , Moonwing mused. _What was that experience that he was talking about? How did he become this way after only serving in an army of drones for all his life?_

Then he remembered how many presents he was supposed to get today and panicked.

"Smokescreen," he pleaded. "I know you want to get me something, but could it be another day? I feel bad about getting all these things today."

Smokescreen had heard about Starscream's past. There had been a point in the war, in Megatron's absence, where Starscream had crowned himself and put lavish pictures and statues of himself everywhere. He glanced down at Moonwing's slouching back, both amazed and concerned. Their amnesiac Starscream was the polar opposite of that wretch.

 _We haven't done much to force him to be humble_ , he thought. _So what in the name of Primus made him so vain before?_

Smokescreen argued, "You got a shiny stone and a piece of candy. It isn't _that_ much!"

Moonwing was quiet. Smokescreen softly tapped his hand against the side of Moonwing's face, getting him to smile again.

"There we go, back to normal," Smokescreen chuckled. "Remember, you have to whip out your best smiles for Ultra Magnus!"

Suddenly, Moonwing laughed. Not loudly or maliciously, but with only lightheartedness. He had Ultra Magnus's disapproving, staring face in his mind, and Moonwing had tried to imagine it smiling. Smokescreen was the only one who could ever make him laugh, so he finished then smiled back at him.

Moonwing had little idea of how he sounded, not knowing that to Smokescreen and the others caring for him, Moonwing sounded exactly the same as Starscream. Of course there existed a difference in mood, but that Moonwing's cackle apparently still unsettled Arcee, Bumblebee, and even Bulkhead, according to their offhand comments. Smokescreen didn't feel uncomfortable like they did whenever Moonwing laughed, but only because he hadn't confronted the sadistic creature that Moonwing used to be often enough in the past.

He trusted that they were right though, that his laugh was the one thing that was the most unchanged. They could influence his speaking pattern in Cybertronian, but the sound of a laugh was nothing they could control. That was why Smokescreen had chosen to say his joke when no one else but them could hear it.

"Of course," Moonwing spoke after swallowing his chortle. "And you too."

"Yeah," Smokescreen replied with a tug on one of Moonwing's wings to keep his mood cheery. "Don't you know it!"

In arriving at the small warp station, they quieted down while heading up to the scanner. Their wide smiles calmed, then Smokescreen pulled Moonwing's card from his own chest. With a tap and the warbled sound of the portal opening, they were ready to proceed through the greenish light. Smokescreen pushed Moonwing's chair on through, taking them back to Iacon and to the High Tower living quarters that the frangible flier considered home.

* * *

 **The calling of Carnation "it" at first before gradually switching to "he" was intentional. The notion is that vehicons are not truly considered living individuals, and so he was thought of with an inanimate pronoun. When beginning to esteem him, they thought with the same animate and neutral pronoun given to Cybertronians and Cybertronian animals.**


	4. Chapter 3: Expanding Horizons

Moonwing was holding the Datapad in his hands off the desk. Gravity harassed his joints, but he locked his arms and kept studying. With the passage of time, his arms began to shake from the light weight. He glared at the screen and tried to forget the struggle. Increasingly more however, the exhaustion was distracting him.

 _Come on, another page_.

He read quickly, then shook his head. He couldn't cheat like that. Ultra Magnus would only give him trouble later. Fingers clenching and stretching, he closed his eyes and forced himself to repeat the definitions in his mind. He peeked back at the glowing screen-

 _Wrong. Come on, focus_.

His arms started to give out. Stifling a groan so that Ultra Magnus wouldn't turn, Moonwing fixed his wide eyes onto the last law. Slamming his eyes closed, he tried again. Then, with a glance and revelation that he had read all that was assigned, he sighed. With an unintentional clang, his arms collapsed onto the table with the Datapad sliding from his fingers.

Ultra Magnus rotated in his chair, glancing to the corner Moonwing had been tucked in.

"What you are doing?"

He politely dipped his wings and held eye contact. "I am sorry for the disturbance, Sir. My arms struck the desk."

The trained response included exactly enough respectful and humble language for Ultra Magnus to pardon him. Moonwing lay his arms out and winced now, the sharpest pain pulsing in his shoulders and elbows. He would surely feel this until tomorrow, but there was a surge of pride that he had read the entire chapter while holding the Datapad in the air.

 _If I do this whenever I can, no matter how much it hurts, maybe it will get easier_. _I'll get stronger._

Resting his arms, he reread the chapter while now commanding his legs to move. He searched for the nerves, peeking at his hips as though it would aid him. Like lifeless and kinked rods, his legs disobeyed him at first. Then, there was a fraction of life in them as his legs slid to the side. He tried lifting them, and they budged somewhat, rising just barely over the seat.

Yet his weak core could not hold those legs for long. They collapsed, but Moonwing only focused on his feet next. He kept his ankles twitching and rolling until he announced to Ultra Magnus that he was ready for his quiz. Then, he sat still and serious when Ultra Magnus brought him over to face him, the hovering chair across from Ultra Magnus' mighty armchair.

Ultra Magnus did not cease questioning him about Cybertronian laws until he was certain that Moonwing could regurgitate the codes and words of today's reading. At times, he slipped up, but Moonwing had reached perfection after another while. By the end though, there was no satisfaction for Moonwing to take. Sleepiness had forced him to blink furiously to stay awake throughout it all.

Ultra Magnus knew how damaging the energy in Moonwing's body was, so he did not scold him as long as he tried to stay awake for the lesson. Immediately afterwards, the chair was pushed away and Ultra Magnus plucked Moonwing from it. Always feeling like a toy in the Commander's arms, Moonwing anxiously waited to be placed down in the oversized berth. Once there, his attention was grabbed by the news playing on the television on the wall.

Moonwing collected his presents, the _distractions_ that Ultra Magnus had been placed on a shelf beside the berth. Without touching his legs, Moonwing crossed them slowly with effort. Sitting upright, Moonwing fiddled with his energon carving and gem orb while keeping his focus on the screen.

Ultra Magnus always kept the news on whenever Moonwing came over for his lessons. He didn't know that Ultra Magnus wanted him to watch it just to learn about their world and the criminal activity within it. The intention was that Moonwing would understand justice and punishment for crimes, fearing them, and hopefully Moonwing would be also spooked and appalled by the crimes he saw on the news.

While he listened, the voices of the reporters dropped to cold severity.

" _Early tonight in the downtown area of Altihex, two intoxicated visitors were robbed by an unknown Predacon. The perpetrator was described to be dark green and black in colour. If anyone has information about…_ "

Ultra Magnus muttered, "This is precisely why we need stricter laws regarding their kind."

Moonwing had a sense that Ultra Magnus wasn't just grumbling, but addressing him. So Moonwing probed as necessary, "What are the current laws?"

"You will eventually learn them all in detail, but the law requires that Predacons are prohibited from transforming outside of their district. Which is evidently not enough to curb criminal behaviour."

"… _with minor wounds to their arms and torsos_ …"

Moonwing knew that Ultra Magnus wanted him to speak more. "Wh-what can be done then, Sir?"

"… _being treated at the Altihex Main Hospital_ …"

"The removal of their claws," Ultra Magnus replied, "is still a protested notion. The Predacons absolutely refuse to comply to the laws regulating carried weapons. As their hands are like common blades, they pose risks to the unarmed civilians. The covers for their claws are the current solution, which is not sufficient in the least as the covers are easy to remove in order to impose harm."

Moonwing's eyes widened.

" _I am here with Air Commander Air Raid and…_ "

"But what is important about having claws?" Moonwing asked. "Their only purpose is to harm… They are truly just weapons."

 _Good_ , Ultra Magnus thought upon hearing the response. He uttered, "They take pride in their race. Although I can see no reason to find pride in being carnivorous beasts."

" _I cannot say enough that there needs to be a change in how the law permits regular citizens to defend themselves_." The silver and red Seeker filled the screen and puffed out his chest, broadcasting his Autobot Seeker insignia. " _There are currently two-hundred and three registered Predacons on Cybertron, and the increased and increasing population only means more trouble for the rest of us_ …"

Moonwing thought, _How could they be proud? Don't they know their own history?_

There was a ball of frustration forming inside him. Moonwing believed that he had never seen a Predacon before, but everything he had learned in history class and the few news stories founded a steel impression of them within him.

 _They're like beastly versions of Decepticons. Thugs, murders, and apparently supremacists._

Some finished projects of construction were revealed next. As cameras panned over building after building, Moonwing's eyes fluttered. After putting his gifts to the side, he stretched out as far as he could. Advertisements slid in one after the other, all job offers in construction. Moonwing's boredom only made him more fatigued. Tonight, he was unable to watch the news for long before he fell limp, lying with all his aches.

 _I might be stronger tomorrow_. _Even if it's just a little bit more_.

Moonwing stilled, and his existence in Ultra Magnus's residence was forgotten. He tumbled into a dream about carrying impossibly heavy items that he kept dropping. Moonwing reached for them continuously until he felt himself pawing at real metal. Drifting back awake, he noticed his black hand raised and now sliding off Optimus's chest.

"A-ah… sorry. You're back already?"

Somehow he was back home with Optimus just as he was being lain on his own berth. The window was cold now and showed a view of sprinkled stars twinkling over the lights of the city. Moonwing admired the view while feeling thankful to be secure inside where it was warm. Iacon nights were frigid, moreover splattered with dangerous bots now creeping out from hiding. Just as Moonwing was softening at the thoughts of how comfortable and safe he was in the High Tower, Optimus spoke again.

"I was asked by Smokescreen to give this to you."

While he hadn't been looking, a spiky metal shape had procured in Optimus's hands. Moonwing promptly remembered it as the most expensive item he had said that he _might like but is really too much_. Optimus deposited it into Moonwing's hands, which immediately pinned them to the berth. It was a lot heavier than he had expected, but with an inhale, he stabilized it on his leg. Testing it, Moonwing turned and pushed one of the jagged spikes of the 3D puzzle.

He perked up; he had no idea what he was doing. This would occupy him for a while.

"I cannot believe that he would go this far," he breathed. "Well, I can, but… I wish he hadn't gone through the trouble."

Optimus assured him, "It is no trouble. Smokescreen wanted to buy this for you."

Moonwing _hmm_ ed, torn between joy and worry. He just had to clarify, "I-I know how much all of you pay for my transportation and how much time goes into my care… Smokescreen might have misunderstood me, but I _am_ thankful for everything. There's nothing I need that you haven't already given me."

Those words spoken in that voice relieved Optimus. He felt the warmth of hope glowing in his chest as he calmly replied, "Gifts are given by those who want to create happiness in the receiver. Even if you do not need the gift itself, what is received is more than the given physical object."

Moonwing nodded. Inspired, his doubts were dispelled. He stopped considering himself as unworthy because he provided nothing to his caregivers in terms of knowledge or work. He considered the gem and the energon, and he found them already lined up behind him on a shelf. Seeing them brought upon a fire of affection for his teacher and bodyguard. Moonwing struggled with the weight of the gem puzzle, but he put it on the shelf with the other presents for later.

Now his hands fell weakly into his lap. Moonwing stretched out again and flattened his wings back against the berth. There was no holding back now the screaming need to sleep. When rest beckoned him, it was not at all difficult to fall asleep while Optimus was watching him. And since Moonwing was used to being watched while he slept, he hardly minded it at all.

* * *

Fire agate.

While slacking off in the language class, Moonwing had discovered the name of the gem Carnation had given him. Black and amber, speckled with rainbow- surely, this was the name of what Carnation had bought. And certainly, the alien gem had been expensive.

At the beginning of the culture class, everyone was required to share their discoveries if they had made some. Moonwing kept quiet however, up until Carnation held his gaze upon him and addressed him.

"Moonwing. Did you find out which one I had given you?"

With that calming tone, he remembered the teacher's previous words. Encouraged, he felt brave enough to speak.

"Fire agate," he disclosed. The students bent back like wind-blown grass, shocked that Moonwing had spoken for the first time in front of them. But Moonwing looked forward at the vehicon, trying to ignore them. He waited for someone to say what his caretakers had informed him of, that he sounded like the Decepticon Starscream. Some of them must have remembered that voice from history class.

Yet the whispers he caught were different.

" _So he_ can _speak_."

" _Why didn't he before_?"

No one realized the similarity and harassed or ridiculed him. He relaxed. Perhaps it wasn't as bad as he had believed. He lacked the drawl that chilled him, the voice that hinted that there was always a deeper intention behind the words he fabricated. On the contrary, Moonwing was soft spoken and used the polite grammar forms of Cybertronian, perhaps…

 _They can't find a connection_.

Smokescreen was especially proud, cuffing him playfully in the hall afterwards.

"There you go," he laughed. "Was that really so hard?"

"Definitely."

"Two words?"

"Yes," Moonwing smirked.

"Make it more next time!"

Once back in the garden, Smokescreen walked around to the front of him.

"So," Smokescreen said. "You ready for this?"

Moonwing glanced away at an iridescent Cybertronian butterfly. He absentmindedly watched it spread its six frilly wings while he replied, "You know I haven't tried standing in a long time, so don't expect too much."

"That doesn't matter, you know! Now, give it a go."

Moonwing slid down the chair until his feet touched the ground. Placing his hands on the armrests, he tried to push himself up with both the strength of his arms and legs. His torso toppled forward, but he had failed to find control from his hips to knees. With a gasp, his hands slapped against Smokescreen for a supporting grip. His legs folded and he started to slide down him, but Smokescreen's hands under his armpits soon hoisted him straight up.

"Ah, oh- sorry-"

"No worries." Smokescreen tipped him back so that Moonwing was better balanced on his feet. "I've got you."

Being so high off the ground was not unusual when others carried him, but to be upright like this and tall was another sensation. He was surprised again that he was taller than Smokescreen, and naturally more so if one counted his wings. Moonwing then felt his body panicking to find control over his legs, leading him to wobble constantly.

One knee buckled without warning. Moonwing pressed too much into Smokescreen, tipping him backwards. It took only a step back from Smokescreen to correct the imbalance, but a cluster of titters arose from nearby. Flushed with embarrassment, Moonwing dared not look as he moaned quietly, "They're laughing."

"Pah, don't listen to them. Just a bunch of jerks."

The stares of the other students pierced into him. Moonwing wanted to retreat to the safety of the chair, but Smokescreen only straightened him up again. He curled his slender fingers into the gaps in Smokescreen's armour and tried to use more lower body strength to hold himself up. He immediately faltered hard to the left, causing Smokescreen to waltz in a circle. Moonwing banged his hip off Smokescreen's gun and dislodged it from his hip.

When it clattered on the ground, Moonwing winced. "Sorry, Smokescreen…"

"It's fine, Moony. Honestly, the amount of times you say sorry…" Smokescreen stumbled, but scooped the gun with his foot and kicked it up into his hand. "You're like that Canadian stereotype."

Moonwing murmured, "What does Canadian mean?"

"From a certain Earth country. The one beside America. You know that one?"

"Oh, er- yes. That's where Team Prime was on Earth."

But the conversation did nothing to distract him. Moonwing glimpsed a group of students collecting in his peripheral vision, curious and amused by their activity.

He whispered, "Smokescr-"

"You wanna try getting to that wall over there?"

Moonwing swallowed his comment. Smokescreen stepped back; Moonwing attempted to drag his leg forward. It scraped across the metal without being able to get off the ground, then stopped short. He tripped again, knocking Smokescreen off balance once more. A correction, then they tried again. The same result. Very slowly Moonwing was dragged to the wall. The longer they persisted, however, the less the students could hide their giggles. It was like they were witnessing a very poorly coordinated dance.

Moonwing tried again, "Smokescreen, we can do this another time? I-it's much too embarrassing with them watching and laughing…"

"Ach, let them laugh," Smokescreen said. "Why are you letting them bother you?"

Moonwing paused because he didn't have a response.

"You can't let others get in the way of your goals. You gotta have what humans call 'thick skin'. Like, thick armour basically. Brush off the bad things other bots say or do to you and keep doing what you want. Like me, I don't let anyone say I can't do something. I do it and make them eat their words!"

"Eat their words?"

"That's like another translation. English phrase about shocking someone else and making them regret doubting you."

Moonwing's spark felt lifted. "Okay, I understand."

"Right! You'll show them, won't you?"

A large smile spread across Moonwing's silver face. They made it to the wall after some more stumbles, but there, Moonwing turned his back to the students and concentrated on the metal before him. Smokescreen transferred him to it, letting Moonwing grab a narrow ledge and try to hold himself up. This was the most strenuous exercise so far. Without Smokescreen supporting his back, the weight of his four wings bent him backwards. When he frantically leaned forward, the weight then reversed its drag and pressed his chest down.

Smokescreen caught him before he would scrape his face on the wall. Moonwing restarted, trying to adjust to his own center of gravity. His knees and ankles groaned and stung, but the pain felt like something that could be tracked. He seemed to find the nerves better with the pain and made minimal progress with his balance. With incredibly low stamina though, he kept falling down with gasps.

"I know it's tiring and hurts," Smokescreen urged him. "But if you keep this up, I'm sure you'll get better!"

Moonwing grit his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut, but he believed what Smokescreen had said with all of his spark. He continued practicing with the wall for a while longer, but the agony gradually increased. For Smokescreen and Carnation, he tried to push through the pain just a little longer than he wanted to.

He kept escaping Smokescreen's grip to hold the wall after every slip-up, and the longer he failed, the less the students laughed. Bored of his persistence, they wandered off, chatting and finding places to seat themselves deeper in the garden.

Smokescreen asked, "You going to work on the puzzle tonight?"

"Yes," Moonwing exhaled with strain. "I'll do it on my free nights."

"Tell me when you're done it! I have no idea what shape it's supposed to be."

Moonwing breathed out a chuckle, then scrunched up his face and descended. Smokescreen's conversation had kept him holding on for just a little bit longer, but when placed on the wall again, Moonwing could not straighten his legs anymore.

"Alright now, you did great." Smokescreen hauled him back to his chair. "That's enough for today."

Relief poured over him to finally be done, but the sense of pride that came was so surprisingly powerful that it quenched the searing pain. He had never tried so hard before, and he had persevered despite the laughing crowd. If he had stopped at the first onslaught of embarrassment, then he wouldn't have accomplished what he just had.

"Smokescreen," he breathed with a weary quiver. "That was amazing. I-I want to do it again."

"That's great to hear! So then, next school day?"

Moonwing nodded.

"Good. Then you can rest up tomorrow for it!"

"There's something else I want to do though," Moonwing admitted. "Besides regaining control of my nervous system, overcoming my shyness in speaking…"

"What is it then?"

"I… I think that if I start talking to others, I might be able to make some friends…?"

"So you want to meet some other bots? That's good, but I'm not so sure about your classmates. They're not very bright." Smokescreen cast his eyes over to those still in the vicinity. "But if you join a club or something, then you'd make good friends. You just need to figure out your interests."

"Oh, hmm…"

"Guess all you do is study. How about something new but not demanding?" he hummed. "How about… reading stories? You like going to the library with Optimus, don't you?"

"Yes..."

"Perfect! Then how about a book club. I know he'll approve."

"O-okay! That definitely sounds interesting."

"Well then, we'll sign up after school. You're not doing anything else tonight right?"

Smokescreen already knew the answer, but he still pretended he wasn't as privy to Moonwing's life as he really was.

"No!" Moonwing huffed in delight. "There's nothing going on tonight!"

* * *

Mixed with fear and excitement, Moonwing was taken by Smokescreen to an upper level in the library of Iacon. He quivered in his seat, not sure what to expect.

The doors slid open and revealed a surprisingly large group. The room was spacious and contained approximately forty bots, mostly of the automobile bipedal race. Moonwing had had little contact with other races, and he had only seen other races from afar or on TV. But there were minicons here, even the kind known as a _Cyclone_ , which were known to be vulgar and swift creatures. The one here was silent and still however, too occupied with dragging its beady, amber gaze over a text. Many others had looked up though, including a massive quadruped.

Moonwing knew they were not related to Predacons, but it was beastly in appearance. Spiky, fanged, and with claws carefully handling a Datapad, its black eyes looked up to him. Certainly intimidated, Moonwing accidentally switched his gaze to another uncommon Cybertronian race. It was a thin and sharp being, sitting next to a metal cube. This too looked sort of similar to a Predacon in bot-form, but was thinner and smaller.

Like most of the others, this Predacon-like bot ignored seats and sat on the floor. But Moonwing knew that this bot's race was simply _something_ other than a Predacon. The Predacons on the news were heavily compact, armoured much more thickly than this bot was. Its neck and abdomen were exposed, and it had scrawny arms and legs. But its hands bore claws and there was something sharp hooking over the bot's forehead. Long wings were folded up and attached to its arms, long and feathered and quite different than Moonwing's own jet wings.

Moonwing originally thought he had made a mistake in making eye contact. The bot of the mystery race widened its orange eyes and flung itself to its feet. Wings pressing into each other, Moonwing tensed up as the stranger raced to him.

"Hi, hi! Newbie, right?" his scratchy voice proclaimed. "Come sit with us!"

Slapped with his enthusiasm unexpectedly, Moonwing froze. Smokescreen seemed to hesitate too, which made Moonwing start to believe that Smokescreen was suspicious of something. A second had merely passed, which was strange since Smokescreen was usually quick to reply.

Then Smokescreen responded, "Sure. We'll be right over."

"Oh great!" The creature stamped his taloned foot. "Let's get acquainted!"

He ran back to the quadrupedal and the others who seemed to be a part of his "group". Swiftly but very quietly, Smokescreen leaned in and murmured, "Watch out. Corvicon, a crow Decepticon. Bunch of dumb thieves they all were in the War."

But Smokescreen knew that this creature had passed a trial, or else he wouldn't have been here at a public club. The Corvicon plopped down cross-legged, waiting in complete ease. Knowing it was best to expose Moonwing to other races, as Optimus would have wanted, Smokescreen allowed it. He would just make sure his hand was never far from his gun.

Smokescreen picked Moonwing up from his seat and placed him on the floor, although at a little distance from the Corvicon. Regardless, the one Moonwing was warned of hopped over and sat down in front of him.

"I'm Onyx," he claimed. "I don't remember your name, but you live with Optimus, hey?"

Moonwing was frightened when Onyx leaned towards him, much more taller than expected.

A blue Autobot stated from the side, "That there's Moonwing. That's it, isn't it?"

Smokescreen sat down next to Moonwing. As he did, Moonwing replied, "Y-yeah."

"Shy, ain't you?" Onyx scooted around to his other side and even closer to him. "Well come on, everyone, introduce yourselves to 'im!"

Moonwing was overwhelmed by the names, but he helped himself by examining the differences between the individuals. The more unique they were, the easier it was for Moonwing to learn their names. He classified them by their size in relation to him, by their shapes, and by their colours.

"If you're wondering," Onyx addressed him suddenly. "I may be a Corvicon but, I'm good, see! Otherwise I'd already be in the slammer-o!"

"Of- course…" Moonwing dipped his head and remembered Carnation, trying not to be scared now. "That's true."

 _Why was he worried then?_ Moonwing glanced at Smokescreen.

Onyx added, "Spadey though, was always an Autobot, though he's scary-looking."

Spade, the green and silver beast among them, had already introduced himself. That was the quadruped, who looked like a Predacon yet was smaller and had wheels. His voice was not nearly as deep as expected, and up close, his eyes looked gentler. Now he proudly raised his bulk up, showing off a large Autobot police insignia on his chest.

"Tell us 'bout yourself!" Onyx slid into a chummy area with Moonwing and put Smokescreen on alert. "Guess we already know what happened to you but, how are you now?"

"I'm f-fine," Moonwing stammered. "Good."

"You really do sound like Starscream," the police officer, Spade, rumbled. "Though, with a different attitude."

"Funny thing, isn't it?" Onyx laughed. "You 'is reincarnation?"

Smokescreen laughed to dismiss the idea. "No, no, he's not Starscream reborn. He's been online since before Starscream's little accident."

Onyx snickered, "Hmm well, I guess you won't feel a lingering hole then. Am I right?"

Whilst sitting, the Corvicon pretended to run along by pumping his arms. Others smiled and pushed away his swinging, folded wings. Onyx dramatically drawled, "Ooh, I, Lord StAHscream have escaped you miserable Autobots! Gah-!" Then Onyx jolted and pretended to trip forward. He mimed being cleanly impaled, but then growled, "Argggh, have this taken away!"

All who had watched the story snorted and laughed. Onyx pulled a massive grin and sat back up. He implored, "Well, how did y'all interpret the news? This is serious, eh? That's how it happened!"

The police officer's smile was full of pointed teeth, but he calmly answered, "My chief told me he was running with a wing clamp then crashed into the rising spike track. Could have flown over it, but not then. And Starscream didn't surrender, the fool, and didn't stop in time either. But good riddance, anyway."

An Autobot laughed, "I'd have paid so much for a picture. Better yet, a video!"

Moonwing noticed suddenly that Smokescreen had not laughed. Another Autobot chorused his excitement to see the corpse, but the member of Earth's Team Prime, who should have hated Starscream, did not smile.

Someone placed their hand over their mouth and giggled. "Moonwing, can you say something in a Starscream voice? Please?"

Moonwing hesitated, feeling a little sickened after hearing the joy they took in someone's gory death. Yet he wanted them to like him, so he played along. "Oh, sure…"

Someone cried, "I got it, say 'Megatron has fallen. I, Starscream, now rule the Decepticons'. And make sure you say it nice and arrogantly."

Onyx tapped him. "Yeah, yeah, mate!"

Moonwing smiled, the words seeming so silly that he started catching onto their amusement. He forgot about Smokescreen and raised his voice the loudest he had in a long while. He tried to move dramatically too, to entertain the others like Onyx had. With an arm flying out, Moonwing flared out his wings and drawled, "Hear me. Your leader, Megatron, has fallen, and I, _StaHscream_ , now rule the Decepticons!"

"Oh Sweet Solus Prime!" Onyx cried. The group, and now the extended group who had heard him, fell back roaring with laughter. Moonwing was shocked by the effect when he opened his eyes. He had never made a group laugh before, but they were cackling and slamming the ground. He still forgot about Smokescreen, not seeing that he was not laughing along. Rather, Smokescreen had been thrown into fearful shock that he was trying not to show on his face. He had not wanted to hear that specific voice coming from gentle Moonwing, but it had been more than good. It had been a flawless imitation.

 _He couldn't have remembered anything, right?_ Smokescreen thought with anxiety. _No, it's too soon. He can't… But maybe I should ask for Ratchet to check on him again. It wouldn't hurt_.

A new bot entered the room at that moment, a tiny two-wheeler carrying an agenda. Stiffening, the bot looked all around the room.

"Goodness," he breathed. "What did I miss?"

"The new guy," Onyx struggled to say. "It's Moonwing- th-haha, Optimus's resident. Remember th-that story about this lil' Newspark getting that shock bomb thrown at 'im?"

He wrinkled his brows. "Yes…?"

"I mean he don't look like silver Screamer anymore but, he can do a bang-on impression! We just had him say something, ahaha!"

"Right… okay." The club director shrugged off the event. "If everyone could settle down now please, we'll start." He then walked to a large container and inserted a key. "We're at the end of _Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_."

As the one in charge of them all passed out Datapads to loan, Onyx whispered, "Hey, you're really cool, Moonwing. What's your number?"

Moonwing whispered back, "I don't have a phone."

"No way, seriously?" The Corvicon carefully tapped the back of his hand on Moonwing's arm. "How're we gonna hang out sometime after?"

Moonwing's spark felt lighter and brighter than ever.

 _I did it! I've met someone who wants to be my friend!_

He looked to Smokescreen with joyful, shining eyes. "Smoke', you wouldn't mind sharing your number, right? Just so he can reach me?"

Smokescreen stared at his face for a few seconds, then said, "Alright then. I guess you can make your plans through me…"

 _Then_ _at least_ _I'll know exactly what he says to you_ , he thought.

"Really? thanks!" Moonwing inhaled.

After passing off the number to Smokescreen, Onyx trilled quietly, "Great! I know some really cool places and all, and I'm just dying to show them to others!"

Moonwing blithely chirped, "That sounds fun!"

"I'm glad you think so!" he started to whisper now. "Not many bots want to actually hang with me. But you're cool, aren't you? Even though I'm a Corvicon?"

And thinking of Carnation again, Moonwing nodded. He felt he could trust the crowbot, a former Decepticon, but someone who also had a personality far greater than those labels.

"Love you, mate," Onyx nodded back profusely. Moonwing watched the gleaming hook of his beak moving with his head. "But stay tuned. This book's a zinger about magic humans and beasts, and we're finishing today! Nothing that we're going to miss, you and I. I'm a hyper sort of bot, but reading club- I'll shake the life outta you if you don't take it as seriously as me! You'll be confused, but ask to take the story home after. Sweet one like you'll enjoy it if you read from start to finish."

The group settled and fell into the purest of silences. Moonwing held the Datapad and read from where everyone else did, indeed finding himself immediately confused. Moonwing was struggling with the characters and new words, but he then paused to catch Smokescreen staring at his phone once again. He flicked an eye over to peek, but Smokescreen's hand was cleverly folded so that he nonchalantly blocked the screen from Moonwing's view.

Otherwise, he would have caught sight of the profile Ultra Magnus had just sent Smokescreen of the Corvicon Onyx, the construction worker and former robber of museums and tombs.


	5. Chapter 4: The Last Lieutenant

The period that followed brought nothing but happiness to Moonwing. Though he suffered through daily physical pain, he felt his body becoming steadier and stronger. Ratchet checked him over and even affirmed that there was an improvement in his arms and legs, while secretly informing Optimus that his mind remained fully locked.

Moonwing was becoming friendlier with the Autobots of the book clubs he frequented, so Optimus elected to buy him a cellular device. Smokescreen's list of contacts had grown so large that he was relieved to release the responsibility and gain control back over his phone. Then with the contacts of all his friends already put in, Optimus presented the new cell to Moonwing after another day at school.

Struck by surprise yet undeniably ecstatic, Moonwing cried out, "Op-Optimus, thank you!"

"With your own device, you will never have to wait to connect to your friends."

"Thank you, oh wow… thank you! I'm sorry it is expensive… I promise I'll use it often to make your purchase worthwhile!"

Moonwing took the silver cell and cradled it in his hands. His _own_ phone.

He swayed and smiled. His first message ever sent was to Smokescreen, a cheery _Hello!_ Then soon after, Smokescreen returned the greeting with additional Cybertronian emoticons.

And just so easily, he couldn't imagine being happier than this. He became more invested in his friends than before, and for the first time, Moonwing ventured out into new cities and locations to meet them. Smokescreen followed him no matter what the activity, be it sightseeing, shopping, or visiting homes. The world had never been so large and exciting to Moonwing in this new and uncertain future. There was so much to see and do that he could barely grasp it all.

The feeling struck him the strongest when Onyx had brought him to the Sonic Canyons at the equator. There, the group of new friends, him, and Smokescreen had been pinpoints compared to the expansive landscape. Plates of different shades of silver and black had stretched out to the horizon, unhindered by cities. The flatness was interrupted by profound holes that abruptly opened themselves up, their black gums only visible from where they stood. Then, above all, churning and rumbles shook the air around them, a fluctuating roar that blasted from the descents into the planet.

Here, Smokescreen had asked him, "What d'you think?"

Moonwing had stammered, "I-it's great! I never imagined that it was s-so…"

He inhaled and continued taking it all in with unbridled excitement. Moreover, life flourished even here as mechanical insects and small creatures spotted the terrain, and even a group of lanky animals far off that he could not identify. When he saw the natural beauty, his love for his planet bloomed and warmed his chest.

 _All these species were lost for so long but are now back with the restoration of the planet… I am so lucky to have been forged at such a time!_

They had raced through the tunnels below, where fear and excitement had griped Moonwing. He clung to the galloping back of the police officer Spade while the others sped off ahead. They had been the slowest, but Moonwing did not care. Smokescreen's victory and Onyx's humor had significantly illuminated that memory, and Moonwing had made three new Autobot friends that day. He was filled with unquenchable passion, and Moonwing understood that the emotion he felt for everyone was love. He thought it over and over, that he loved and was this happy because of it.

He simply could not comprehend that there was any other way to find happiness. Moonwing's perception changed slowly, and when he saw the crimes in the news, they hardly seemed real. Time passed, but nothing terrible had ever befallen him. He wondered where evil lurked since he could never find it. He knew though, that even here in his home city, beatings and theft were common on the streets. He still watched the news with Ultra Magnus, sitting with his knees in his arms, and he wondered why bots committed crime.

The pain from his exercises lessened with the sheer amount of support he received. When he fought to take his steps and stand, he thought about how proud everyone would be. Online Moonwing announced whenever a goal had been surpassed, and the overflow of cheer following each status update thrilled him. Now Optimus found the smiling Moonwing often lying on his stomach on the berth, legs crossed and fingers scampering on the cellular device. Behind him, his shelf of presents had increased. Beside the carving, the gem, and the completed puzzle from Smokescreen, there were many other small souvenirs from across the planet.

Moonwing could no longer think of his friends as just _Cybertronians_ now that he had acquired friends from colony planets. On the daily, he was wanted to join some activity despite his physical state. And rather than absorbing a sense of popularity, Moonwing was abashed and grateful for their kindness. They were willing to accommodate him and his needs, while respecting his need to sleep often. Thus he was often smiling over his phone, while Optimus watched from over his wings.

His guardians burdened with more work throughout the next three Cybertronian months. The background checks were endless, and the reading of Moonwing's messages was a task shared among more than one. The phone was installed with a tracking device, but it also sent them copies of all of his messages and pictures. Blissfully unaware of it, Moonwing was overwhelming them with concern and chores.

That was how Arcee had found herself following Smokescreen and Moonwing on the adventures with large groups or potentially dangerous individuals. Optimus had decided that it had gotten to the point where Smokescreen might be conquered by numbers; moreover, Moonwing had gathered some clawed, former Decepticons as friends. So here she was spying on them, the one with the swiftest reaction time, who was the fastest overall and the stealthiest.

So Moonwing never noticed her accompanying them, and even Smokescreen who was aware of Arcee couldn't easily spot her. Arcee was naturally focused, yet she had first been displeased when she had been given the task of protecting Moonwing. Blue eyes peered from the shadows, scanning Moonwing as he stumbled and practiced walking for short distances. She pursued them from city-to-city, more than once a week, and she sensed that her feelings were slowly changing. She didn't want them to, but Arcee watched the former Decepticon bumble innocently through life, and it was hard to abhor someone so helpless.

Moonwing had eventually switched from his hovering chair to a pair of black crutches. He was particularly unstable using them, and at a time when they were overlooking a ledge, she had thought, _If he fell now, none of us would be fast enough to catch him. It wouldn't be my fault._

But Arcee knew that the guilt would have been there. She didn't want him to fall and perish, at least not like this. She wanted _Starscream_ to die, not this Moonwing who had no memories at all. Like this, she stopped despising this particular personality. On the other hand, Arcee wanted Moonwing to be replaced by Starscream as quickly as possible so that the anger in her spark could be directed at something.

One time, Arcee found herself pressed against a wall and behind a scrap bin. She blended into it as she peeked afar at the yard where Smokescreen and Moonwing stood in the company of three vehicons. Each vehicon was different but familiar to her; she had fought and killed each kind before. One was purple, an automobile, there was a purple flier, and then there was a silver flier. It was the silver jet vehicon's home, reportedly, but she was not making the effort to memorize its name.

Moonwing limped around the yard, exciting the trio of vehicons. Carnation clapped his hands together and stared after him in delight. He was the most proud, but the other two whom Moonwing had just met were just gaining excitement.

"He could not walk before," Carnation whispered to them, within earshot of Smokescreen. "He worked very hard to accomplish this."

When Moonwing came back panting to cool himself, the unfamiliar vehicons praised him. The purple jet vehicon cast his orange eye upon him and exhaled, "You're a hard worker! You really inspire me. Even though it hurts you, you do it?"

Moonwing's head bobbed in the distance. His voice was quieter, so Arcee had to listen carefully to hear him.

"It's not nearly as hard when everyone helps me," he insisted.

 _Moonwing is innocent_ , she identified. _A different bot. An Autobot. A Newspark. He barely understands this world_.

She came to realize something while watching him and hearing his gentle words. It struck her at once that Moonwing simply did not _understand_ the concept of evil in the slightest. For his entire new life, nothing terrible had ever happened to him and everyone had only ever treated him with kindness. Despite the false story he told about the reason for his injuries, it was as though he did not mind it since he could not remember the event.

That was a problem. Moonwing openly trusted everyone without caution, taking risks and following former criminals to whatever destination they requested. He never looked around himself and could easily have been restrained or maimed had he been alone. She and Smokescreen wondered then, if Moonwing had only remained unscathed because of Smokescreen's presence. Perhaps, to no one's knowledge, there had been plans foiled since Moonwing never went out without an armed Elite Guard.

She was stalking the pair as they slowly returned home. The sun was just setting, but here Moonwing proved his ignorance further when he asked, "What's it like out at night? I've never stayed out after dark before."

"That's because it's not as safe," Smokescreen tried to explain.

"But you are with me and… surely, there are some safe places with no one around? The main streets are busy."

"Why do you want to go out so much anyway? The day is nicer. It gets cold at night, especially in Iacon."

Moonwing murmured, "I wanted to know what it felt like. Is it cold like those tunnels were? And what do the plains look like at night, shining under the moon? I want to try lying back like the humans do, watching the stars. Couldn't we try it? Just for a bit."

"Look, Moony, I know you really want to, but Optimus thinks there might be some illegal Decepticons that come out in the quiet hours who would want to hurt you."

"But they know the news too, don't they? I'm not Starscream."

"There are crazies too, you know, who can't be convinced. Or if anyone hears you and thinks-"

"I won't say a word! Please, just the Square. There are Elite Guards everywhere and it is shielded! It is safe."

Smokescreen led him back to Optimus and let him take this discussion to him. After just restating his argument, Optimus permitted his request. Once night had overtaken the sky, Optimus escorted the gleeful Moonwing out into the night. The Elite Guards were curious, staring as the two walked into the Square currently absent of tourists.

Although young, the night was already chilly and uninviting. Nevertheless, Moonwing led himself out on his crutches, lifting his eyes and turning his head. The lights of the city obscured most stars from sight, but Moonwing still had never seen so many at once. He wobbled as he turned, becoming more oblivious in his awe. Optimus helped him to the ground, taking away his crutches so that Moonwing could lie down. The flier stretched out his limbs as though accepting the sky to embrace him.

The metal ground was frigid, but he did not care at all. Optimus was sitting down beside him just as Moonwing cupped the moon between his hands. Releasing it and laughing, Moonwing sighed beside Optimus and glanced at him.

"I like this," he murmured. "Thank you."

Moonwing lifted up his black and silver arms to compare them to the night sky. At once, he felt a connection to it, and that if he flew up there, he would flash like a shooting star. The thought was exciting enough that he began fantasizing about flight. Regular movements were unbearably painful, but now the goal was set in his spark. He would be up there someday, flying across the night sky. Up there, he should be safe and so free.

He imagined what the air would feel like on his wings. Moonwing felt the sensation so well that he was _sure_ that it would be like what he imagined. To him it was just a feeling, yet in reality it was the muscle memory of his past recalling the pressure of wind.

 _If I am starting to walk again, then surely if I work hard, I can fly? I know everyone would be happy for me._

When they returned home, Moonwing sat on the berth and decided that he would try transforming. Ratchet had warned him that the pain would be too intense, but Moonwing was feeling overly confident by his recent successes. Optimus was unprepared when the sounds of transformation erupted beside him and Moonwing threw out his wings. Alarmed, he turned back just as the sounds cut off unnaturally and abruptly. There was hardly a pause before Moonwing's screech resounded beyond the containment of the home and into the hall.

Without commanding it himself, his body had automatically flinched back into its original position. Gasping and shivering, Moonwing lay back in horror of what he had just done to himself. He had pushed too hard, and now the pain throbbed with scalding fury in his nervous system. All he could do was squirm pitifully in regret and agony. Optimus held him, trying to calm him by keeping him secure. Moonwing was eased by his presence, but he couldn't stop wriggling for a few moments more until the pain decreased just enough to end his panicking.

There was an urgent knock at the door. Moonwing heard Bulkhead's voice call, "What's going on in there? Is everything alright?"

Moonwing curled up now, huffing but relaxing. Optimus answered the door, and Moonwing peeked across the room and hall to see who had come. Bulkhead, Arcee, and Smokescreen had rushed from their rooms, and Windblade was just padding over now to stand behind them. All tried to get a look into the room as Ultra Magnus's heavy footfalls approached.

 _How loud had I been?_ He thought, clutched by guilt. He was astonished that he had stirred so many from their homes.

 _I wish I hadn't scared them. It looks like they care about me more than I thought_.

Optimus explained to them what had happened, erasing their suspicions that Moonwing had remembered who he was and tried to escape. Then, Bulkhead and Smokescreen called out to Moonwing past Optimus, asking him how he was. Moonwing was not fine, though better than before. There was nothing else for him to do than rest and recover.

Optimus dismissed everyone and brought back their privacy. It was then that Optimus carefully examined him and felt the heat of his metal, which was especially hot over his back. It was nothing serious, but Optimus saw how stiff and frightened Moonwing still was, and he felt compelled to do something for his pain.

Although exhausted, Moonwing could not sleep with the sharp pricks in his back and feverish heat throughout his body. Optimus sat beside him, waiting quietly until the expected knock came at the door. He opened it for Jazz, who had been returning home when he got Optimus's message. Moonwing stared up at the door again, confused now as Optimus thanked Jazz for something. He turned though, bearing what appeared like a folded mesh of chains.

"What is that?" Moonwing wearily mumbled.

"It is a temperature-controlled blanket."

Optimus unfolded the mesh of chains and pressed a button on its side. Moonwing tilted to the side to get a better look at it, but then it was suddenly tossed over his back. It was larger than he had expected, draping silkily over his wings and touching all surfaces. He didn't have to wait long until coolness swept over the burning aches, permitting Moonwing to sigh and release his legs from his grasp.

Now he would be able to rest and heal. After thanking him and relaxing for some time, Moonwing flipped over onto his front. With the blanket covering him from nape to ankles, even spilling over the side of the berth, Moonwing was able to drift off and forget what had happened. At least, he would for the time being.

Yet to others, the scream of Starscream still seemed to echo in these halls. Smokescreen walked off and addressed the strange feeling of sorrow that he felt. For a moment, they had thought Starscream had become himself again, and Optimus had needed to defend himself. Even though the innocent Moonwing had ended up being hurt, the woe he felt stretched beyond that.

For a time, he had forgotten that Moonwing would eventually not be Moonwing anymore. Whether the change would happen in a few days or years, Smokescreen could not say. The scream had just been a frightening reminder that made him wonder if they had done enough to convert him into an Autobot.

* * *

The next day that Smokescreen took Moonwing to school was after the break. By then, Moonwing was faring much better. Although, as they passed through the usual streets, he told Smokescreen of what had happened now that they were face-to-face.

"When I saw the night sky, I couldn't stop thinking that I belonged in it. My colours, my name- I knew it would hurt, but I thought I could transform."

 _Moonwing. Starscream._

Both names did have relation to the night.

"There's no rush," Smokescreen assured him. "You haven't even graduated yet! If you're careful and patient, I'm sure you'll be up there some day."

 _Your memories might come back before then though_. Smokescreen felt that he was lying to him. He might be imprisoned before ever flying again.

Moonwing did not dare tell his other friends about how he had foolishly hurt himself. He wasn't disheartened anymore though, thanks to Smokescreen and Optimus supporting his goal of flight. He decided to forget the incident and continue enjoying being with his friends. Club meetings passed along and his free hours were always filled with activities. Moonwing often returned with friends to the Sonic Canyons, and there he relished the openness of the landscape. His spark felt as open as it was, trembling in excitement at the thought of all in the world he would accept.

So Moonwing ended up speaking to the Cyclone minicon in one of the book clubs he attended. He had heard that they were foulmouthed and mischievous creatures, but this one never disrupted the club meetings or even spoke a word. Smokescreen whispered to him, advising him against it, but the passion in his spark drove him forward.

The Cyclone was barely coherent. Moonwing was startled by the heavy, growling accent, but he found out that his name was Turnblade. And indeed, he was foulmouthed. He swore often as they spoke, but Moonwing was not driven off. The way those amber eyes regarded him seemed friendly, and he was not insulting Moonwing with the curses he said. Smokescreen was uncomfortable again, knowing from his phone that this was a former Decepticon, and after the encounter, he revealed this to Moonwing.

"Onyx was a robber," Smokescreen had warned him before. And now, he told Moonwing, "Turnblade used to destroy homes and whatever he got his hands on."

But Moonwing never cared. With a floating tone, he always answered something among the lines of, "But they regret their actions. They won't do it again!"

Smokescreen tossed up his hands in exasperation. "You can't trust everyone! Even those who passed trial might change their minds later. You're going to trust someone that you shouldn't someday, you know. It could even be someone who is cased and ashens their energon!"

Moonwing understood from Ultra Magnus what these illegal practices entailed. Decepticons on Cybertron had cases around their spark chambers to scramble their frequencies from detection, and mixing certain fluids into their blood, although unhealthy, kept tracker Predacons from finding them. Though using the Predacons had been becoming more uncommon, since civilians were arguing against any right for beast-form Predacons to leave their district.

"But these are all bots with jobs. They test for that sort of thing."

Smokescreen sighed, "Look, I'm not trying to scold you, but anyone could come in with a quick disguise. Anyone with a lightbender could try to walk up to you pretending to be one of your good friends. But you don't keep your guard up at all!"

 _But you're here_ , Moonwing had tried to tell him over and over again. _Why is everyone so pushy about this? There shouldn't be any problems now! Carnation was right saying that everyone knows Starscream is dead. I am not in danger anymore._

So he visited the Cyclone and met some others of that race, and Moonwing ended up learning some of their language. It was a fit of laughs for the Cyclones because Moonwing's mouth and throat handled the pronunciation horribly, but Smokescreen was not so amused. Moonwing frowned and tried to speak to him afterwards about it.

"You said anyone could disguise themselves," Moonwing murmured, stamping along on his crutches beside him. "That could be my other friends too. But… you all are worried about certain ones…"

"They're more likely to hurt anyone, not just you. That's what you don't understand," Smokescreen exhaled, his mind foggy with worry. Since this problem had gone on so long unaddressed, it was hard to convince Moonwing now. "There are bots not like us, who don't commit crime only because they don't want to be punished by cops. They don't do it because they think crime is wrong. They're just waiting for when they know they can get away with it. "

Far behind them, Arcee moved through the thin crowd of the early evening. She followed and listened, but Moonwing had gone quiet. They walked on without looking back, the two distracted by the topic. Arcee saw a large flier emerge from a side street in front of her, but from behind, she only thought it was a Seeker of the Air Command. Even if Smokescreen had glanced back as he routinely did, he would not have noticed anything amiss about the flier. Because despite the lack of the modern Seeker insignia, the steps were measured though swift, not attracting attention.

Ground was gained, and it was as though the flier was simply hurrying around the pair. Red eyes checked on Smokescreen, then glanced backwards. Arcee was not noticed by this bot, yet Arcee had not missed that backwards glance. The action and expression said enough. She sprinted forward, hollering, "Smokescreen! Grab him!"

The flier snatched Moonwing and swung him around before Smokescreen could grab him. The crutches clattered just as jets blasted from the abductor's heavy feet, raising them both into the air. The heat was turned onto Smokescreen, who jumped back from the blazing and buffeting wind to snap up his gun. Passersby screamed in shock and scrambled away as Smokescreen shot blasts at his target. Yet the bot was too large to be deterred from Smokescreen weapon, which was inferior to his own body's former blasters. There were hisses of pain from the Decepticon, but nothing struck a debilitating wound.

Moonwing was swept away from the blasts' reach, but he heard Smokescreen firing and became fully aware of the desperate situation. He struggled and battered to escape, but a large arm clamped him to the abductor's side. Pushing on that limb yielded no results when he was as fragile and weak as he was. His round-tipped fingers were as well useless, scraping at metal frantically while leaving no scratches.

Arcee had scampered up a pipe of the building, then launched herself at the attacker with a hidden blade now exposed. The captor ascended quicker than calculated, leaving Arcee to slice the spot the two had just been before plunging through the warm air. Moonwing missed her shout of frustration over the alarmed yells of the citizens and his own cries. His abductor grunted from the last delivered, burning shots, then soared over a building into the clear.

"Stop screaming already!" she snapped at him. "It's me!"

Moonwing wailed and snatched her wing. "Please stop! You're mistaken!"

To his surprise, she chuckled, "Do you still think I'm a fool or something, Commander? You better give me more credit now, because I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me!"

"I-I don't know who you are!"

"Don't you remember my darling voice?" she huffed. "Honestly, can't you tell despite the remodeling? It's Slipstream, idiot."

Moonwing had never heard that name in his life. He screeched constantly and fought, hoping that he would land on a building if he fell. Lowering her brows, she clenched him hard and barked, "What is wrong with you? I'm not going to hurt you, you know. Even though you abandoned me on that garbage planet, I'm holding back my pettiness 'cause we're Seekers. Lucky you, Seekers are strongest when together and I'll always stick to that motto. That's why I came looking for you. I'm the last of your old- are you listening? Can you shut your trap already? You're more Scream than Star, lunatic! "

"I'm not Starscream!" he shrieked.

She growled with impatience, "Stop trying to throw me off. What's your game? Why were those Autobots with you?"

"Starscream is dead!" he cried. "I'm not him!"

 _She doesn't know anything. She hasn't seen the news!_

They had flown far from where Moonwing had been snatched. Without warning, Slipstream tossed Moonwing onto a roof and crashed down beside him. He winced but promptly crawled to his hands and knees. Slipstream tugged him back by a wing and thrust her face by his. She stared at his panicked face for a long moment, then uttered, "By Primus, have you lost your memories? Is that it? What did those accursed Autobots do to you?"

"No. No, no-"

She held to him tight while popping out something from her abdomen. It looked like a remote, but Moonwing didn't know what purpose it served.

"No matter," she interrupted him. "We'll figure it out somewhere safe. I need to know why you have such a dainty chassis now like you're some kind of model or-"

A groundbridge portal bubbled up beside them. Slipstream and Moonwing jolted, and she yanked him back with her a moment before Optimus came barreling through the swirling greenness. She tried to jump out of his way, but Slipstream could not move quick enough to avoid the mass charging her. She hollered when one mighty fist collided with her chest, sending her over the edge of the building and the remote flying from her grasp. Optimus crushed the remote underfoot as he guided Moonwing towards the portal. Promptly however, she reappeared, rocketing back into sight and swaying on her jetting feet with a snarl plastered on her face.

Moonwing was shocked by her defiance to Optimus Prime. She thrust her body forward and beelined for Moonwing again, hoping to catch hold of an arm or wing in passing. Optimus stepped in front of him, but she veered to the side and swept out her sharp fingers. She was swift, but her body was too large to completely dodge Optimus's next punch. At the loud bang, Moonwing flinched, then peeked at Slipstream as she rolled across the length of the roof.

Optimus pushed him back with one hand, but Moonwing watched with mixed feelings as Slipstream stood clutching a leaking dent. He espied the defeat in her gaze before she hopped back over the edge. Optimus pushed Moonwing back again, but his legs crumpled. His fall allowed him just enough time to see Slipstream jetting across the neighbouring buildings, lifting higher into the sky until she became a blue dot among the gray of the sky.

By then, he noticed wails of the sirens. They were just below him, in the streets surrounding the building they stood on. Seeker officers had also just appeared in the distance, beginning pursuit, when Optimus finally lifted Moonwing and carried him through the portal.

When they stepped into Optimus's living room, Moonwing blinked in further shock. He did not understand how and who allowed a portal to open here, but it was not the most stressing matter on his mind to ponder. Optimus sat him down onto the berth and knelt on the floor, trying to be at his level although he was still taller than Moonwing.

"What did she say to you?" he rumbled.

Moonwing stared forward with his expanded, silver eyes. He trembled more awfully now that the event was over and he struggled to comprehend what had happened in that rush. He could not answer yet as he tried to recall exactly what _had_ been said to him. Optimus worried for what had been revealed in the minutes Moonwing was beyond their control, but he knew he would get nothing while Moonwing was still as shocked as he was.

The chain blanket was dropped over him with the warm setting activated. With it, Moonwing forgot what the cold air rushing past him had felt like when he was snagged. Optimus put his hand on his lower back and waited for him to calm down more. Moonwing squeezed the corners of the blanket and pulled it tighter to himself, then leaned into the sturdy red mountain of Optimus.

"She… th-thought I was Starscream," he managed to force out.

"What more did she say?"

"I-I don't remember..."

It was true for now. Moonwing felt so weak and confused with the rapid fluttering of his spark.

"Do you know who that was?" Optimus implored.

"She said… her name was Slipstream. But I don't know anyone by that name… None of my friends have that…"

His body felt weaker as her sharp voice sliced back into his mind.

 _By Primus, have you lost your memories?_

"Why did she think I was him?" Moonwing whispered. "She didn't seem to know… that he was dead…"

Optimus lied, so that Moonwing would not suspect anything. "She might not have had access to media information. Perhaps she has just arrived on planet illegally."

"Who... is Slipstream?"

"Slipstream was one of Starscream's lieutenants before and during the Great War. Though, her whereabouts had been unknown for quite some time."

"She did not want to hurt me… Starscream. What did she want with him then?"

"Slipstream was holding a remote-controlled groundbridge device. It appears that she was on the verge of taking you to an unknown destination. Her intentions are unclear."

Moonwing froze. Had he really been so close to being kidnapped, hidden away in a deadzone where no one could have tracked him? He slouched and moved his body closer to Optimus, realizing how fortunate he was that he had rescued him.

"How did you find me?" he choked.

"There is a tracking device in your phone."

 _My phone!_ Moonwing snapped his gaze to the phone still secured in a clamp to his arm. He couldn't store it inside him because of the pain of transforming, and so he could have easily dropped it when he had been snatched up into the air.

 _What would have happened then?_ he thought. _Where would I be now?_

Somehow, he kept himself from being too afraid, however, since he had trusted her words. Moonwing didn't think she would have hurt him, but he was glad to be here where he was sure to be protected. If the Seekers caught her, then he would rest easy knowing that she wouldn't come searching for him again.

 _What made her come after me? Did she hear me talking to Smokescreen and think I was her former Air Commander?_ Moonwing suddenly wished he had listened more to Smokescreen, who had mentioned that his voice could put him at risk. He thought now that he had been right.

While Moonwing crossed his legs and snuggled back into the blanket with his thoughts, Optimus was finding satisfaction in how everything had been handled. Although he would do all in his power to make sure Decepticons would keep away from Moonwing, he also had to be more careful with the information he gave him. Perhaps it would not be disastrous if Moonwing knew he was Starscream, but it was more likely that it would mark the beginning of his downfall.

Optimus understood why Moonwing's mental state had remained unchanged for months while he had been improving his physical body. So long as Moonwing didn't strain his mind for memories like he strained his body, the energy would remain locked in his head. Telling Moonwing that he was an amnesiac was one thing, but there was danger if Moonwing wondered if those memories could come _back_. Then, they just might begin to do so the more he wondered.

Optimus felt that it was by good chance today that Slipstream had not disclosed what would have forced the threads of the lie to unravel. She had not gotten the chance to reveal _why_ she had attacked someone who did not match Starscream's former appearances. Moonwing would not learn that Slipstream had been specifically tracking his signal, which was the same as Starscream's on not yet re-acquired and re-programmed Decepticon technology.

He also would not learn that Optimus had not used the tracker in Moonwing's cellphone, but the strong priority tracker embedded in his insignia that was detected back at the Hydrax Plateau every passing moment of the day. Such extra precautions such as this and Arcee's spying had to stay unknown, to impede Moonwing from pondering about why they went to such extremes to guard him. Lest the suspicions arise.

Optimus could see no blemishes on Moonwing except for some shallow scratches. He asked, "Were you harmed in any way, even unintentionally?"

He shook his head.

They had been very fortunate then, that it had been Slipstream and no one else. Smokescreen and Arcee had been restricted today due to the law on bodily weapons; otherwise, Optimus knew that they could have taken down Slipstream themselves. Optimus had heard the protests about weapon availability for long, and it seemed that unless more support was given to allow all citizens the right to arm their bodies again, the Decepticons would always have an advantage.

Furthermore, the weapons permitted to the military and the police were so limited and weak. Optimus knew the intention was to strike down Decepticons without severely harming or killing them. However, Moonwing could never be safe if his guardians were restrained like this.

The time should be ripe now. Optimus remembered the disgruntlement over Predacons being allowed their biological weapons while other citizens weren't permitted to have any weapons at all. Arcee was certainly displeased by the results of the vote, but she would be motivated now more than ever to have the High Council open another vote to the public. After all, Optimus had not put himself into an election or accepted a formal position of leadership. Arcee, a High Councilor, would have to be the one to push this change.

 _It is evident what needs to be done. The law must change before Starscream or others are killed because they are defenseless against the Decepticons who still remain._

Moonwing pulled off the blanket, powered it off, and folded it. Even after laying it down, he still stuck to Optimus's side for comfort. Even if he was not so scared anymore, he didn't know where else he should have been. He was therefore perfectly content to stay in the quietude for now, sliding his eyes closed and keeping them shut so long as that sturdy hand remained against his back.


	6. Chapter 5: The Betrayal

Moonwing had thought _unique_ , although the vehicon could not have been plainer. It was a vehicon miner who still retained its original colouring instead of opting for a change. And while he would not have been surprised to see a quadruped lumbering through the library aisles, it was peculiar to see this vehicon comfortable among the Cybertronian equivalent of books.

 _Is it really so strange?_ He questioned himself. _What if he is just as smart and kind as Carnation?_

Evidently, the archives Moonwing wanted seemed to be next to the vehicon. Optimus led him along behind him, but Moonwing peeked at the vehicon's back as they passed. He noted the sharp movements of the vehicon and how he flicked his head from side-to-side. A profound interest formed, and he suddenly had a burning desire to know who he was.

Moonwing stayed in the middle of the aisle while Optimus browsed the titles for him. Since he had not shifted his eyes off him, Moonwing saw when the vehicon finally selected something. As he slid it out, his quick elbow gently tapped the bottom of the stack he had amassed, toppling over the Datapads before the vehicon had seen what he had struck.

With a gasp, Moonwing launched forward from his crutches. In a moment, he was there, snagging the Datapads just barely between his fingers before crashing into the shelf. Just realizing what had happened, the vehicon stepped back and snapped his head to the right. Moonwing heard Optimus take a step, turning to fully stare at the current situation

With huge eyes, Moonwing trembled and stared down at his own legs. He was standing without his crutches. The vehicon was utterly silent and watched him for the second before Moonwing finally lost his balance.

"Ah-"

He clutched the Datapads to himself as he toppled. Swiftly, the vehicon's hands snapped up and caught him. Moonwing bent over the miner vehicon, starting to crush him since he was only about half his height. Apologizing profusely, he fumbled with the Datapads and stacked them onto a lower shelf beside him. The vehicon held him steady while Moonwing tried to grab ledges and pull himself away. Burning with embarrassment, he separated himself from the stranger and clung to the shelves.

"Really, I'm so sorry," Moonwing exhaled.

The vehicon was stunned and silent. Moonwing was still standing on his own. He glanced back to his scattered crutches, then dragged himself back to them. Optimus collected one of them, handing it to Moonwing. The other crutch had fallen closer to the vehicon, who squatted and fetched it, holding it upright for Moonwing in a flash.

"Oh, thanks," Moonwing breathed.

With his two rows of orange eyes, the vehicon continued to stare without blinking. Yet Moonwing sensed that the vehicon was interested in his changed posture. But then, the vehicon miner then seemed to remember something, and he swiped all the Datapads into his arms and hastened away.

Moonwing gasped, "W-wait!"

He paused and glanced back.

"What's your name?" Moonwing's gaze softened.

The vehicon tilted his head in confusion. He pressed a finger to his chest. "Mine?"

Moonwing nodded but noticed Optimus watching them. The vehicon's head lifted in surprise by the confirmation, but shied back regardless.

"Shiloh," he murmured. He tried to get away again, but Moonwing continued.

"My name is Moonwing."

The vehicon listened, nodded, then strode away with his things. It didn't take Moonwing long to realize why he had been so anxious to leave. Behind him, Optimus had been looming, large and unintentionally threatening. His spark felt heavy as he remembered again how his guardians had used to slaughter vehicons.

Moonwing spent the day studying with Optimus in the library. He kept hoping the vehicon would stride by their table, but he never returned. Afterwards, Moonwing went back to his phone and immediately asked Carnation what he knew. From what he could tell, his teacher knew many vehicons. That was why there always seemed to be new ones every time he visited his house.

And Carnation seemed to know him right away. _Interesting_ and _kind_ had been the words used to describe him, but when Moonwing contacted Shiloh's supposed number, a response never came.

No one had ever ignored Moonwing's messages before, but Carnation insisted it was his number. And no matter how much attention he got from his friends, Moonwing could not stop thinking about the vehicon at the library. He wondered though if he should be pushy if the vehicon simply didn't want to be near him.

He decided to try to forget him, although it bothered him. Moonwing's spark just screamed to help Shiloh not be frightened, if that was what he was. The stress lessened when he deleted the contact to spare himself from the reminder. Then, a month later, Moonwing forgot his concern but never the vehicon's name.

* * *

In the school's metal garden, his exercises had changed. Laying the crutches against the wall, Moonwing would march along the path up to Smokescreen and back. Sometimes teachers peeked out at him from the upper floors' windows, Carnation more than most, but there were many who had heard about the determined student. As for the other students, they had long since stopped laughing.

Even when Moonwing fell, they were silent pairs of blinking eyes that cleared paths for him. He had been struggling for so long, unbreaking, and that had begun to change their mentality. When he passed, the other students peered after him with admiration and respect. He was still far from being strong like them, yet it did not matter that they were better. The Newsparks realized power in his unwavering commitment, even if Moonwing did not know yet how he had matured them.

For the first time, they began coming up to him now and then to speak to him. They all said about the same thing, that he inspired them for their future.

"What are you going to do after graduation?" some had shyly asked Moonwing.

"I don't know yet," he always said. "But I'll find something."

It was only when they grew bolder that they began asking other questions.

"Why do you always talk to Carnation after class?"

Moonwing would reply, "He just wants to hear about how I am doing."

But of course, the particular question arose.

"Why are you friends with a vehicon?"

Why indeed. Moonwing felt passionate anger, yet he had prepared the response beforehand to calmly relay it.

"Because they're individuals too."

Their faces always revealed their disbelief, but they didn't dare argue against someone they had come to esteem.

"They have their own interests," Moonwing would say. "They have the same emotions as you and I. They are not drones, and they are far from sparkless. They are like anyone else."

Smokescreen still thought Moonwing was not as cautious as he should be, but he couldn't help but be impressed by the words coming from _Starscream's_ mouth. Like other Decepticons, Starscream had treated vehicons as expendable. He had not cared when they died, and he too had been willing to kill them. Now, Moonwing fiercely defended them and Smokescreen could only find himself agreeing.

And something about fighting for the sake of his friends emboldened Moonwing. He was becoming more analytical as he planned how to change the thoughts of others. Consequently, he felt more encouraged to love his friends who faced discrimination, to support them when so few would.

* * *

The next day, Moonwing felt the need to spend time with the Corvicon, Onyx. Still, Smokescreen did not completely trust the crow-bot, but Starscream thought that he had become his closest friend from the club.

After a morning of exploration, Onyx offered, "I'm going to Kaon now t'see someone. Do you wanna come? You been there before?"

But Moonwing had to refuse today. "I can't, but I would have really wanted to go. I've never gone there. Unfortunately, I'm supposed to go study with Ultra Magnus this evening, so there's no time."

He had not yet visited the southern side of the world, and although expensive, he would have really looked forward to it.

"No worries then," Onyx answered. "I'll just see ya another time then!"

It was a given, since they saw each other weekly at the club regardless.

Moonwing was dejected once Smokescreen had dropped him off at Ultra Magnus's home. He still did not find it important to memorize the laws, and doing this instead of exploring the Southern capital completely dispirited him. Ultra Magnus knew that Moonwing was not focusing, and it made him grow impatient. When he tested Moonwing, he failed many of the questions. Suddenly halting the test, Ultra Magnus commanded him, "You will read the section again, then we will continue."

Moonwing sighed, "Yes, Sir…"

But the morning's exploration today had left him prematurely sleepily. Moonwing studied with a mind clouded by drowsiness, so he still performed poorly during the verbal quiz. Ultra Magnus sent him off to read again, but Moonwing did so while thinking of the phone he couldn't touch. He wondered how many pictures Onyx and the others had sent him by now while he was stuck here studying laws with the strict military commander.

When he had finally finished, Moonwing stretched on the berth with relief. _Now_ he could sleep. With his mind numb by the studying, he drifted off into peaceful darkness. He forgot about the laws and began a dream. Yet he had barely begun to enjoy it before something felt strange. His spark pattered and his mind thought _something is off_ , _something is off_ until his anxiety startled him awake.

Ultra Magnus was not calmly sitting and watching the news as he usually did at this time. He was heard in another room, speaking loudly to someone through his communication unit. His voice was griped in utter seriousness, a tone different than what he used with Moonwing. All this had been what had scared him awake.

Ultra Magnus uttered, "Are you certain that all of them have been contained?"

Moonwing sensed by the buzz in the air that something serious had happened. It drove him to sit up and begin sliding his legs over the side of the berth. He wanted to see Ultra Magnus, but he wondered if he should be listening even if Ultra Magnus was being loud. It clearly had something to do with his job.

He crossed his legs and looked side-to-side. What should he do? Ultra Magnus seemed to have been talking for a while now, and had left Moonwing alone and confused.

Then he heard a blaring from the news-playing screen. Moonwing, shaken, looked to the television just as Ultra Magnus entered the room. Ultra Magnus glared directly at the screen, not realizing that Moonwing was up and awake too. Both of them began to watch the report of all Ultra Magnus had just been informed of.

Moonwing had never seen such an announcement before. His agitation escalated when he saw the anchor speaking while the text _emergency broadcast_ bordered him above and below.

" _There has just been a shooting between Decepticon gangs in the shopping centre of Kaon. All are advised to avoid the area in case of further danger_."

 _Kaon_? Moonwing's eyes shot open wide. _Did he say Kaon?_

No, he thought. Certainly, he had heard it wrong. He was only imagining it because Onyx had said he was going there. It was fresh on his mind.

There were videos of Kaon from above, but they were not recent. Moonwing could recognize that they were only showing the area, avoiding showing the recent chaos. Yet as he had never seen more than pictures of Kaon's statues before, he still did not realize what he was seeing.

 _What city did he say?_ He shivered. _What city?_

"Kaon's police force promptly arrived to break up the fight and are still on scene," the anchorbot continued.

 _Kaon? It was Kaon?_ Moonwing felt queasy. But he tried to stop himself from worrying. Onyx should have gone home by now.

The anchor continued gravely, "But many were wounded before the fight was ended, and there were some terminated in the crossfire."

 _But not Onyx_ , he told himself. _The chances are too low. He goes to strange places too, not public places like the shopping centre. He wouldn't be there, even if he stayed for that long._

"The victims include Decepticons, bystanders, and one Kaon police officer. All have just been identified."

The list of the deceased were presented with their profile pictures and their names. Moonwing frantically scanned the first row. They were all Decepticons he did not know. He was partly relieved that the missing Slipstream had not appeared there either. There were then ten more images, the civilians. Moonwing looked over them all and thought, _He's not there, I don't see him. He's not there._

Yet his eyes had been flickering so fast. When they stilled in relief, that was when he noticed the black and skinny figure. Onyx's profile image was lined up neatly with the others, and his name below it. Moonwing swept his eyes over it in disbelief, then caught sight of the police officer. It was a wide quadraped with a familiar fangy grin, captioned as Spadehook.

 _Spade!_

"What?" Moonwing croaked. What were Onyx and Spade doing on screen with the others? _No, it can't be true. I was only worrying about- surely, such a coincidence couldn't happen! Not my friends, what are the chances, no-_

Moonwing jolted back. Ultra Magnus perked up from his movement, looking over as Moonwing grabbed his head and looked down.

"What?" he moaned. "What?"

Ultra Magnus stared only at him now.

"No, no, no, no, no…"

 _It can't be true. No. I didn't see it right._

"What is the matter?" Ultra Magnus addressed him, voice cold.

Moonwing hardly heard him. He shriveled up and clutched himself desperately, choking, "No, why, no…" repeatedly. Then, he broke. Moonwing bent back with his hands over his face, screeching into them. He panicked with this new emotion erupting in him: grief. All at once, Moonwing was denying and accepting the truth. Ultra Magnus did not understand what had happened, but one stubborn thought came into his mind: that _it_ had finally happened.

Moonwing wailed and screamed more wildly and loudly. He did not notice Ultra Magnus rushing away to retrieve something. He was only snapped out from his panic when he heard heavy footsteps charging at him. Moonwing dropped his hands just in time to see Ultra Magnus lunging for him.

He gasped and shifted away, but Ultra Magnus snatched both his wrists in one hand, yanking Moonwing's arms up roughly. Moonwing brought up his legs to cover his exposed middle, but the massive Autobot leapt onto the berth and crushed him with his weight. Moonwing's legs were outstretched and pinned, finally leaving Moonwing utterly helpless.

Now Moonwing was beyond terrified. Ultra Magnus had never been aggressive to him before, and he had no idea why he was being assaulted. But he _was_ being attacked, and by a military commander vastly larger and stronger than him. Moonwing tossed his skinny body about, yelping and crying in fear. The pressure and pulling was insensitive to his fragility, hurting him and whipping him into a greater panic to escape.

The more he struggled and fought, the more it seemed to Ultra Magnus that he was right about him. He easily held down Moonwing, who screamed louder, as he held out the taser rod and powered it on. Moonwing noticed it only when blue electricity buzzed to life beside him. He leaned away from it, eyeing it with wide and horrified, grieving eyes.

 _Why is he doing this? Why? Why?_

The taser connected with a joint. His entire body burned and contorted, twisting itself painfully in the restraints of Ultra Magnus's hold. All he knew was terror and agony before he fell limp and useless. He was conscious just for a moment, until the pain snapped him into the darkness.

* * *

Moonwing whimpered to life, dazed and befuddled. All memories of recent events were forgotten for now as he sat up and blinked. The bright lights and surfaces were certainly nothing like Optimus's home, so where was he? His stiff hand touched his head as his eyes struggled to focus. Then, past the shining of the polished equipment, he saw them.

Optimus, Arcee, Ratchet, and Ultra Magnus were standing before him in a hospital room. Moonwing stared at them for just a moment before he recalled what Ultra Magnus had done. Like a cornered cat, he jolted back and arched. With wings pricked up and eyes narrowed, he cried, "What is he doing here?"

"There has been a mistake," Optimus informed him. "We are here to take you home now."

"Why did he attack me?" he wailed.

"Ultra Magnus did not attack you," Ratchet said. "He was worried for your health, and needed to subdue you immediately."

"What?" Moonwing whispered. Ratchet sounded utterly sincere, forcing him to want to believe him.

"Your body is particularly fragile," Ratchet continued the lie, since it was easier for him to lie than it was for Optimus. "You are very sensitive to overheating, but your spark chamber is the largest of our concerns. The heat may damage it if you become too stressed, and then…"

Moonwing went rigid. He whimpered, "Ar-are you saying that I can die?"

Ratchet nodded gravely. Moonwing scrunched up, but he couldn't understand how shocking him could have been the best solution.

"Why did he have to tase me?" he coughed. "Wouldn't that have…"

No, what they were saying couldn't be right. It felt so completely wrong, and Moonwing knew that look that had been in Ultra Magnus's eyes. Those hands had also been so uncaring, fighting him down without caution. Ultra Magnus had done something to him that he couldn't forgive; Moonwing was terrified of him. He was so broad and silent, without regret in his eyes. Optimus was the only one there who clearly demonstrated concern over what had occurred.

But Optimus wasn't contributing either. Moonwing could not listen to Ratchet, because he could not understand. _Why are they covering for him? Why did he do that? He's supposed to be good, an Autobot, the Commander of the Hydrax Plateau and all ground military!_

All Moonwing had been doing was sitting on the bed, then…

Moonwing yipped and patted around himself. He needed to find his phone, needed to confirm that he had imagined up the news report. All had been a bad dream, surely? Yet he scraped at his arms and found nothing. His phone and clamp had been left in Ultra Magnus's apartment.

"It isn't true, is it?" Moonwing cried. "My friends, they're alive- they are, aren't they? Did the shooting in Kaon happen?"

Their eyes widened as all came together. Ultra Magnus had explained that Moonwing had suddenly awoken from recharge screeching and repeating words of denial. However, Ratchet had found nothing wrong with his mind. All understood now that Moonwing had reacted to the news in a way he had never before.

"Onyx and Spade," he sobbed out. "They're okay. Tell me- my phone, please give me my phone!"

Optimus remembered these names from their surveillance. Ultra Magnus remembered the name of the officer who had died, and he disclosed, "There was a fatal shooting that transpired in Kaon tonight. And if you are referring to Bumblebee's officer Spadehook, then unfortunately, it is true that he was among the victims."

Moonwing deadpanned. They saw the grief flooding him just as he realized that it had all been real, the awful, small chance had truly happened, robbing him of two friends. Optimus stepped up to him, ready to calm him before he panicked again. But something unexpected occurred when he touched Moonwing's back. Moonwing jumped back from the comfort, sliding off the berth to stand.

"Why are you trying to comfort me?" he exclaimed. "There's nothing you can do! There's nothing, nothing- they're dead!"

He stumbled off aimlessly with a lost expression. Optimus gently lay his hand on his shoulder, and Moonwing stopped for a moment. He then tossed off that hand and mewled, "Don't comfort me. They're the ones who are… I don't matter. Spade and Onyx, th-they…"

Arcee watched on with surprise and wide eyes. When she saw that creature brushing past them all, weak and distressed, something in her chest stirred. He seemed more like an Autobot now in his grief than he had ever before.

Moonwing was deeply sorrowed, and now he moved from them because he didn't know what to think. All of them had become frightening as he realized how their size and skills could turn against him. If they supported what Ultra Magnus had done, then he felt anxious in their presence. Their story didn't make sense. So _much_ wasn't making sense. The guards, the rules, the stories- there had always been something off about them. His life was so different from every other student's.

How could all the tragedies of his life be built on coincidences? Why did it all have to happen to him?

 _Why? Why? I don't understand!_

More than just the absence of caring, he was sure that displeasure had lighted up upon Ultra Magnus's features when he had attacked him. That had not been Ultra Magnus, unless, the Ultra Magnus he knew was a lie.

 _Are they just lying to me? These Autobots, the High Council members, do they actually care about me?_

Optimus said, "Come home, Moonwing. You must rest."

But when he reached out, Moonwing stepped away more, slipping and limping. He mewed, "Stop, don't!"

Ratchet approached him from the side with a syringe of a sedative. He slid the tip into his arm before Moonwing noticed him drawing near. He gasped, but Optimus held him and explained, "Do not believe you should suffer to honour your friends. You must calm yourself. They would not have wanted this."

Moonwing flinched. He hated how Optimus had confirmed again that they were truly gone, and he felt deceived by Ratchet. His physician had never surprised him like that, but now everyone's hands were unpredictable. Moonwing clutched himself in anguish, backing off and denying what Optimus had said.

He _had_ to be sad for them. He loved them, and if he didn't feel the tragedy, then it would be as though they hadn't been important to his life.

"No," he gasped. "No, no…"

He tried to move away now, but gradually his movements became groggy. Moonwing leaned too far on one step, and Optimus caught him as he tipped. He pushed against Optimus's chest with the feeblest of protest, but he was lifted off his feet.

"Stop," he begged in a whisper. He found that he felt no fear in Optimus's arms, but he still considered Ultra Magnus to be a hostile presence as they passed him.

They left the room, departed the hospital, and entered the night. Moonwing heard the others following behind, returning with them, but he could not see them. Moonwing could only see the sky and feel the warmth of Optimus protecting him from the cold. And he tried to refuse that warmth, since it was trying to comfort him. Moonwing was exceptionally exhausted, but he had learned long ago to push on despite that.

The refusals slid incessantly from his mouth, but then he had begun looking at the stars and moons. He wondered how much had been the same from here to Kaon. The same moons must have been there, where Onyx and Spade had been, overlooking them. Maybe they had looked at them as he had, and maybe they had seen them while they lay dying.

 _Did they suffer?_ Moonwing cringed and shut his eyes. _Were they scared?_

But even if they had been surprised and killed quickly, the unfairness of it all hurt him. Onyx had been expecting so much more, that they would see each other over and over again. He had never even gotten the chance to admit to Moonwing himself what he had used to be: a robber. Moonwing had also never gotten the chance to let him know that he knew his past, but had accepted him anyway.

The agony was overwhelming, and it needed to be.

" _Put me down_ ," he begged. "Please, please…"

Now his own problems seemed even more insignificant compared to the fate of his friends. Optimus never released him. He took him through the Square, into the High Tower, holding him even through the elevator ride. They arrived first on the top floor, where others had gathered in the halls waiting anxiously. All had heard the screams earlier from Ultra Magnus' apartment. They had waited for the news about the scan of Moonwing's mind, but they understood the result when they saw Optimus carrying Moonwing in his arms.

"What happened?" Smokescreen gaped.

For now, Optimus did not answer. He took Moonwing back into his home and set him onto the berth. Moonwing did not get back up. Immediately, he curled up into a wincing and softly moaning ball. Smokescreen crept into the room, knowing that he shouldn't have entered without permission, yet he had been drawn by concern.

"What's wrong with him?" he breathed. He stroked a wing and said, "Moon…"

"Don't touch me," he whispered.

Smokescreen lifted his hand, whispering in astonishment, "What?"

Arcee had come in behind him. She grasped Smokescreen's wrist and carefully tugged him back. "Not now. Leave him alone with Optimus. I'll explain."

She led him out, but Moonwing had registered everything.

 _Explain what?_ he thought. _What Ultra Magnus did to me or that my friends were killed?_

The door closed. Optimus sat by where he lay, but he didn't touch him anymore. Moonwing didn't even bother to shoo him away; he turned on him and faced the window. From there he saw the stars again, then started feeling a slickness dripping from his joints.

 _What is that?_ He thought weakly, without caring about it too much. Something was leaking thinly from his elbows, his knees, wherever he bent. He considered that it must have been the lubrication of his joints, leaking freely from his weak and damaged body. Ratchet had been partially right then, that Moonwing was sensitive, but Moonwing did not mind himself now.

At least it was only pain and damage that he had, whereas his friends had nothing at all.

This stress and sadness was all he had now to show he loved them. There would be no more messages, pictures, or adventures. The club for Earth literature would be dreadfully empty without them there, spaces that would never be filled even if new members came. No new words, no new laughs. There was nothing more he could give them than the gold-coloured liquid leaking from him, that stuck to his joints and rolled from his eyes.


	7. Chapter 6: His Name

He was supposed to be asleep. Moonwing never went a whole day without resting, but he kept waking up the night after Onyx's funeral. It was his first and the only one he had been allowed to go to, with Spade having a private one with the police. Still, a part of Moonwing wished he hadn't gone. Hadn't seen Onyx like that.

The memories were corrupted now by cold, still death, and it was hard for Moonwing now to remember how his close friend had been before. Moonwing's eyes constantly fell closed each time he woke, but at the sound of faint voices, he sat up slowly. The chain blanket had been put over him at some point, but he slipped from it now while creeping from the berth.

From the hall, he heard the voices and headed to them. With his hand trailing the wall, Moonwing stepped up to the door on his light feet. He pressed his head against the its metal and heard the voices muffled just beyond it.

"Moonwing didn't know him for long," Smokescreen mumbled, "but he seems to get attached easily."

Bulkhead was heard murmuring in his heavy voice, "So, uh, he didn't take it well, did he?"

Moonwing's hand clenched over his chest and shook.

"No," Smokescreen sighed, "he did not."

Unable to listen to more, he dragged himself from the door. He fell back to the berth, crumpling the chain blanket into a massive ball, then pushing it onto the floor. Lying with his eyes closed, he was waiting for sleep to come on its own when Optimus quietly came back into the room. He re-took his seat, but noticed that Moonwing had pointedly rejected the blanket again. He got up to collect it, then powered it off and folded it neatly. It was patiently stored away for another later attempt.

Moonwing did not think hard about his own issues as he allowed the days to focus on grief. Still, he was not keen on being close to his a time, he also avoided clubs, school, and his phone, but for another reason. The spark-ache was agonizing the more he was reminded, and he did not want to suffer through his friends trying to comfort him. They would all say the same thing: the deceased wouldn't have wanted him to be sad.

He couldn't stay away from school forever, however. Yet during the night before his return, a thought stabbed into his mind. Some horrible idea that he could not keep to himself. Because of it, he suddenly had a flaming need to speak to Carnation. The vehicon was different than the others, and he would understand anything he told him while providing a fresh viewpoint.

Carnation had not seen Moonwing for days, but then Moonwing entered his class now with drooped wings. Because of their position, Moonwing's crutches banged against them as he neared his seat. To see him like this instantly informed the students and teacher that something terrible had happened. Moonwing ignored his peers when they leaned in to whisper their questions and concerns to him. They were far from being capable of helping him at this time.

After class, he pushed forward without Smokescreen. He came up to the silver vehicon and whispered, "I need to talk to you. You're all I have."

His posture was the only indication of his surprise. His black face did not change, but his voice was quiet and downy in understanding of the situation.

"Come see me after your classes then."

In his cloudy realm of grief, Moonwing felt a nervous excitement. His guardians had betrayed him but finally, there was someone he could confide in.

Smokescreen had, in fact, heard most of that exchange. But when the time came to meet with Carnation, Moonwing muttered, "Don't come with me."

"Er, what?"

"I want to speak to him alone."

Moonwing shoved his way ahead into the elevator, but Smokescreen barged into the empty space after him.

"Whoa, whoa, where's this coming from?" Smokescreen wanted to seem offended, but he was frightened that Moonwing had thought of something they hadn't wanted him to. Something that he now wanted to discuss out of their earshot.

Moonwing grew angry that Smokescreen had followed him into the elevator. When they came onto the third floor, he didn't care other teachers might hear them. Moonwing's wings and frame shook as he muttered, "I want to talk to him _alone_ , I said!"

The sound of Moonwing's crutches mimicked stomping as he hurried off ahead. Smokescreen jogged after him, and halfway to Carnation's room, he grabbed onto a wing. Instantly, Moonwing swung around, swiping that wing out of his grasp and fixing him with a glare. It shocked Smokescreen to see ferocity manifesting from someone who had only been cheery before.

"Stop it!" Moonwing hissed. "Go away!"

"But it's my job to be with you," Smokescreen argued. "I can't do that!"

"I don't care! Why can't you ever leave me be? Why won't anyone?"

A teacher popped his head out from a door. Smokescreen glanced back as the stranger asked, "What is going on here?"

Moonwing tossed his crutches at Smokescreen and stormed off stumbling down the hall. Carnation had just been stepping out after recognizing their voices. Moonwing nearly crashed into the vehicon, but Moonwing caught the doorway and the teacher stepped out of his way.

"What is the problem?" Carnation asked.

Moonwing leapt inside and slammed the door. He fumbled for a lock, but found none. Smokescreen forced his way into the room, his strength overcoming his and sliding him back. From that, Moonwing became even more irate. He glared at Smokescreen with a harsh glint in his eyes.

"I told you to leave me!"

"Moon, I can't. You know I can't-"

"Moonwing," Carnation murmured. "It will be alright. Don't yell; come here."

Moonwing stamped over the hide behind the vehicon. It had not been what Carnation had meant, but Moonwing glowered at Smokescreen and thought, _Make him go away._

"Smokescreen," Carnation said now. "I know you mean well, and I am ignorant to what has happened, but you are causing him great stress. Would it not be best to give him privacy and a chance to abate his anguish?"

"If he wants to talk to others, it has to be in front of me," he replied. "Those are my orders."

"Liar!" Moonwing shrieked. The other two twitched and snapped their heads back. Moonwing grit his teeth and had his wings sharply pointed down as he cried, "You've let other students talk to me before in the garden, and you weren't there! It's because he's a vehicon! How can you not trust him by now? How can you not? You _know_ him!"

"Moonwing," Carnation whispered, turning completely to him. "Don't yell."

He quivered and went silent, though moved closer to his teacher. Carnation looked back to Smokescreen and said, "Please, I have never seen him so distressed before. You surely know that he needs assurance. You must allow him this. The more you try to restrain him, the more he will blame you."

Smokescreen stood still, mouth closing. Carnation was right, but Smokescreen could not know what Moonwing would say to him. If he chose to leave them, Moonwing might learn something he shouldn't. It might happen soon regardless, but if Optimus's project failed because of him, Smokescreen believed that he would never be trusted again. But if Carnation was right, and all that they were doing was worsening the situation…

 _This responsibility is too much for me_ , Smokescreen thought. _I don't know what Optimus would do!_

Moonwing adored what Carnation had said. He hadn't even yet explained everything to him, but he had figured out the situation. There were the wise words he needed to hear, and what he had come for.

Now, he just awaited Smokescreen's response.

"I'll… be in the hall then," he murmured.

Moonwing was not completely satisfied. "You're not going to try to eavesdrop, are you?"

Of course he had wanted to. Now though, Smokescreen thought that he might check. There was no choice.

"No. I'll wait for you by the elevator."

Moonwing raised his brows. He had never been separated from those Autobots before, but for the first time, Moonwing would be independent. Though his other powerful emotions left him slumped, he did feel shocked. Smokescreen departed, and Moonwing padded to the door and affirmed that he was moving far away.

"He is gone now," Carnation said. "You can relax; speak to me."

Moonwing backed away, nodding slowly. Carnation wheeled a chair over so that instead of sitting across from him, he would be beside him behind the desk. Moonwing stretched out an arm to close the door, then he sat beside the vehicon. Ultimately, he had to find the words to explain all that had happened. Moonwing began his story in a whisper that made Carnation have to dip his head to catch the words.

He was so quiet from secrecy and sadness, yet Carnation heard all about the deaths of his friends.

The vehicon murmured, "Yes, I remember them. You were so excited to tell me how it was befriending different races. You learned so much, and you had a lot of fun together."

He trembled stiffly, but nodded. Those times had indeed been special. He tried to speak, but then his mouth trembled and clamped shut. No matter how much he wished, he felt that nothing would be so good again. Carnation waited patiently until Moonwing could continue.

"Wh-when I found out," he choked. "Ultra M-Magnus… I was so scared when I-I heard the ne-ews. All I did w-was scream…"

He had to pause again to regain control of his shivering.

"H-he attacked me… tased me..."

Carnation jolted.

"Everyone tried t-to tell me… he wanted to h-help me. But I-I know… They weren't telling the tr-uth…" he coughed. "He h-hates me. I saw it."

"I'm so sorry," the vehicon breathed. "You must have reminded him of something. A memory, maybe, and he forgot. He must have mistaken you for Starscream."

"Carnation," he mewled, his voice quiet but suddenly growing desperate. "Carnation…"

"What is it?"

"What if I just _am_ him?"

"Moonwing, that couldn't be possible-"

"But they _lied_ to me. Maybe they orchestrated something and put out false information!"

Carnation tilted back. "But, they wouldn't, surely? They are the council we voted for, who are supposed to rid our world of the corruption which started the War."

"Where is the body?" Moonwing whispered.

"They would never divulge that information. Many Autobots would only have wanted to disgrace the gravesite."

"But the pictures? Sp-Spade never even saw them. What reason is there for not letting police officers see them? Couldn't they assess the videos, the pictures, the…"

Carnation went silent, his face revealing nothing as he thought.

Moonwing continued in a whisper, "It was the only conclusion I could find. T-to why they follow me… never want me near Decepticons… the law lessons… why they hate me."

"Even if you are him," the vehicon said, "I don't think they all hate you. For as long as I have known you, from all I have heard, you have only been kind to others. Your friends adore you. I am sure that Smokescreen cares for you too and wants to keep you safe."

Moonwing bowed his head in guilt, yet he still protested, "But how do I know that? How do I know they aren't just pretending to like me? H-h-how do I know if they c-care…"

The trembling recommenced. He crossed his legs and pressed himself inwards, becoming smaller and more vulnerable. Carnation promptly replied, "There are many who do love you for what you are now."

"So… you agree then…"

"It would be logical to think that, given what you've said. But if you are Starscream, what would change with you knowing it?"

Moonwing whimpered, "I don't know… I'm scared. I don't want that to be the truth… I just want to be like everyone else."

"I understand."

He flexed his hands and stared at them. It was as though he no longer knew them. Where they had traveled and what they had done, he was uncertain of. Moonwing grabbed himself, whining and closing his eyes.

"I don't know what I'll do," he moaned. "I don't want to live with them… They don't like me. They don't trust me…"

"You must talk to them," Carnation said. "And if it is true that you are Starscream, then it is simple. You shall live in society like I do and do all the good that you can."

Moonwing calmed slightly, but sighed, "What about you? What would you think?"

"What would I think? If you were my former commander?"

Nervous about the response, Moonwing only nodded.

"I never particularly liked Starscream," Carnation admitted. The silver vehicon turned his head. "He was arrogant, deceitful. He degraded other vehicons, though not me personally."

"Oh…"

"But, there was something interesting about him," he went on. "The crew was always debating about whether it was good to have him back after going rogue. He was just someone who sought only self-preservation and would betray us if necessary. Megatron allowed him an army of flight-capable vehicons…"

 _You_ , Moonwing thought.

"...and Starscream called us his Seekers. We were only vehicons without much training, but he always called us his Seeker Armada. But Starscream was the only true Seeker on board after the others and his lieutenants died off. I wondered if he was trying to compensate… and I wondered more. Starscream was skilled, but lacked confidence. His cowardice came from an extreme fear of death. Some older vehicons said that he used to stand up to Megatron, but not anymore. Not after he lost everyone because of his own selfishness and became vulnerable."

It had been interesting to hear, but Moonwing pressed, "Carnation-"

He answered the main question immediately. "I would treat you the same. Our lives are different now, and you have changed significantly. I believe in my spark that you are my old commander, but now you are my diligent student and friend."

He looked at him. Moonwing felt a chill.

"I don't know what they have done to you," Carnation said, "but you have been given a chance. Do not waste it."

"I won't," he whispered back. "I don't want to be like what I was before. I can't even imagine hurting anyone now..."

"Then tell them that," Carnation said. "Go to Smokescreen- he has been waiting, and go home."

Moonwing stood up when Carnation did. Driven by something like instinct, he quickly hugged the vehicon tightly. The embrace was returned, then Moonwing departed with a goodbye. He found Smokescreen standing by the elevator with the crutches, who seemed relieved to see him at last. He rushed to him just as Moonwing put a hand against the wall.

Passing him the crutches, he looked over Moonwing and tried to determine his mood. "Are you okay, Moony? You feel a bit better?"

His nods were honest. When Moonwing saw Smokescreen's hovering arms waiting to help with anything, he felt a rush of sorrow. As he led him away, Moonwing whispered, "I'm so sorry, Smokescreen… For how I've been acting."

"No, hey… It's okay. You're going through a tough time. I get it."

Smokescreen lightly tapped him with his fist, like he always did to be affectionate. Moonwing's face trembled. Overcome with emotion, he said, "You care, don't you? At least you do… You love me although… although…"

His chest spasmed. The elevator doors opened at this time, and Smokescreen ushered him in. There, he touched a wing, this time without receiving rejection.

"So then, you know?"

Moonwing leaned against the wall and looked to the floor. "Yes…" he breathed.

The elevator arrived at the ground level. Smokescreen led him out with his hand on his back.

"Let's go straight home then," he murmured. "It'll be okay."

"Will it really be?"

"Yeah, yeah…"

Moonwing didn't know how to interpret that, so the way back was filled with a tightness in his throat and chest. The conversation to come filled him with such anxiety that he didn't want to have it at all. He didn't want things to change even more. With all of his spark, he wanted things to be as they had been before, where all he knew was happiness.

 _Why me? I don't want to be him. I just want to be me… but how can I now be anyone else but_ him, _when everyone is only going to think of the past?_

If they had always been thinking of him with distrust and resentment, then perhaps those memories of happiness were also false.

 _My existence is a lie_ …

Then he thought something else.

 _But how can I blame them for hating Starscream? How many… have I killed?_

"Don't worry," Smokescreen said, seeing how Moonwing shuddered and jerked. "They're not gonna do anything to you."

"That's… not what I was thinking about."

"What is it then?"

So many words bubbled up at once that he couldn't relay a single coherent thought. Smokescreen had affirmed his assumption, and the longer the realization had to set in, the more he understood the situation. _He_ had been responsible for deaths, torture, and destruction. He was of the same frame, spark, and mind of Starscream, although he remembered nothing at all.

Feeling sick to the stomach, he hung his head and murmured, "You should just arrest me then."

There was no line at the moment, yet they halted in front of the groundbridge. Smokescreen replied softly, "You know it doesn't work like that. There is nothing in your mind to show in trial, no emotions to judge."

He tapped the prepaid card against the scanner to enter the coordinates of Iacon's station. The portal opened and washed a green light over them that glinted off the silver face and streaks of Moonwing. He was looking down, silent, but Smokescreen murmured to him, "Come on, let's go home."

It no longer felt like home, but Moonwing followed him through anyway.

* * *

Smokescreen had been too busy fretting over Moonwing to prewarn Optimus that he had figured out their secret. When they came to the upper level of the High Tower, no one was ready to confront them. Moonwing fidgeted in the elevator, then stepped with care out into the hall. It was so silent, and the air felt unbearably heavy. He dropped a crutch to collapse against the wall, holding a hand over his clenched abdomen.

Smokescreen touched his shoulder then hurried to the door of Optimus. He knew he was within, and his brisk knock was sure to summon him. Moonwing became so frightened that for a moment that he considered leaving. The thought was disrupted by the high and frantic sound that erupted from down the hall. Never having heard it before, Moonwing jumped and thought mindlessly in his fear that it was an attack. That someone had heard their whispers and had left a bomb. Just in that moment, he forgot completely about the protective systems and Elite Guards.

As he began to panic, Bulkhead's deep voice boomed, "Easy, easy!"

Optimus appeared at the door just as another opened. Bulkhead's heavy green foot appeared in the hall just before something dashed out past him. A silver and blue, shining creature speed desperately towards those in the hall, racing on slender legs with a bushy tail streaming out behind it. It bounced onto Smokescreen's leg, then charged at Moonwing with its ecstatic cries.

" _Yib yib yib yib yib yib yib_!"

The mouth full of sharp teeth was turned upwards like a smile. The animal crashed into Moonwing's leg, rising onto its back paws and slamming its front ones onto his knee. The situation was so inappropriate that he stood there, stunned, and widening his eyes. He had just been swamped with grief, guilt, and nervousness, but the creature was so ignorant to it all. Its raw excitement to meet him brought an unexpected warmth that he could not deny, so he lowered an awkward hand.

It jumped and scraped its paws across the hand, still yapping enthusiastically. Bulkhead apologized and tried to call the animal back. Slowly, Moonwing sank down the wall and sat on the floor. The canine creature leapt into his lap, snuffing and swirling, unable to keep still. Smokescreen had just begun to say something to Optimus, but Bulkhead was wandering over, and soon blocked them from Moonwing' view.

"What is this?" Moonwing asked while stroking the animal's plated back.

"Oh, that's a turbofox. Followed me back from work, so I guess that she'll be my new pet."

All he wanted to think about was the animal in his arms. She was so full of love and playfulness, and it was all he desired in his life. But in hugging and petting the turbofox, Moonwing noticed worry in Bulkhead's gaze as he brought his small pet close to him.

That worry he saw hurt him deeply. For a moment, his wings had lifted slightly, but then they fell down to the floor.

Quieter now, Moonwing asked, "Did you name her yet?"

"Er"-Bulkhead seemed surprised by the question- "Spring."

It was quite the appropriate name for the hyper turbofox. Moonwing knew that he already liked her very much, but he had grown so suddenly uncomfortable by Bulkhead's eyes that he released her. Spring launched off back to Smokescreen and Optimus Prime, overcome by curiosity and uncaring of their serious murmurs.

Moonwing patted the wall and tried to get up. Bulkhead offered to help him, but he shook his head and managed it slowly and shakily. He thought by now that Optimus and Smokescreen had said all they needed to, and he stepped back as though it would save him time.

"Are you okay?" Bulkhead stopped to ask. It had been days since the shooting in Kaon, but the ever-optimistic Moonwing was slouched and speechless with an apprehensive expression.

Optimus beckoned him gently. "Moonwing."

There was nothing amiss about the tone, but fear lighted up upon Moonwing's face. Bulkhead sensed that something substantial had transpired and turned to Optimus. "What happened?"

The turbofox panted and returned to Bulkhead's heel while Moonwing obeyed, gathering his crutches and slowly hobbling over to them. He felt everyone's eyes on him, thus he bowed his head and could not look at any of their faces.

"What made you come to the conclusion that you are Starscream?"

His body tightened, and he knew that Bulkhead was gawking. The silence after the turbofox had quieted down intimidated him, but he had to answer.

"It was because… because everyone is always watching me… those law classes… but mostly because of what Ultra Magnus did." He shook. "And… no one saw the pictures, video, or body… then Slipstream found me…"

Moonwing was only afraid that they might blame Carnation somehow, not realizing that they were only testing to see if he had regained some memories.

Optimus rumbled, "I understood that this would happen, but I had not expected that it would happen so soon. It is my hope that you are not bothered by this discovery, and that you will try to ignore it altogether."

He wanted to nod obediently, but he whispered, "But how can I, when none of you are ever going to see me as my own person?"

Smokescreen tried to keep his face still. But he knew exactly what they were hiding from Moonwing: that his memories could come back. Optimus just did not want Moonwing to go searching for them.

"Our time adapting to this change has been short," Optimus said. "Some of us are still learning to disassociate you from a former enemy. If you will allow everyone patience, then eventually they will respect you as someone different."

Moonwing was eased from the way Optimus had laid it out. Instead of making him feel guilty, he tried to give Moonwing the responsibility of forgiving others.

"You want me just to forget about it?" Moonwing said. "Is that enough?"

"It will be. If we all accept you for who you are now, then there will be no feelings of distrust."

Distrust. Exactly what Moonwing had been irritated and sorrowed by. If Optimus knew how badly he wanted to be trusted, then surely, he was going to accommodate him.

Optimus assured him, "I will continue to focus upon your success and happiness in your new life. If you are willing to accept our help."

Again, he had turned it back on Moonwing. He had been given a job. No longer worried, Moonwing replied delicately, "Okay. I promise I will do my best. I won't be like he was… I want to be good."

"Me too," Smokescreen said. "I mean, I'll help you too and make sure you're alright."

"Uh yeah," Bulkhead agreed. "You can come over whenever you want, play with Spring… I can't entertain a turbofox by myself."

It was about all he could think of to offer, so Bulkhead picked up Spring and brought her closer. Embarrassed, Moonwing tentatively stroked her head and swept his hand over her massive, triangular ears. Her thick tail whacked carelessly against Bulkhead's chest as she took in the stranger with sparkling, black eyes. Spring churned her paws until Bulkhead said, "Here… she wants you to hold her."

Moonwing's embarrassment worsened, but even though he heated up, the grip on his spark lessened. Carnation had been right; they did care for him, but it was so hard to accept that anyone could care about someone as cruel as Starscream.

Moonwing put aside the crutches and stood to take Spring into his arms. Bulkhead didn't seem uneasy now to let him touch the vulnerable and unsuspecting animal. Moonwing gripped the turbofox from under the chest, and her legs and tail dangled as she sniffed at his chin. Seeing her head tilted right back and feeling her ears tickling his chest was irresistible. The first smile emerged in days, thin, but still born into existence. It started to seem like things would be alright. If everyone would trust him and love him as Moonwing, then half of his suffering would be lifted.

However, Ultra Magnus was an entity vastly unlike the others. He had always sensed it, and he felt it would always be so. Moonwing doubted he would ever be able to erase the distrust the military commander had for him.

"Can I…" He didn't want to offend Optimus by asking, but he could not bear the idea of being anywhere near the commander again. "...stop studying with Ultra Magnus? I will study if you want me to… but not with him, please…"

"Very well," Optimus said. "You may do so with me."

Moonwing sighed softly in utter relief. But there was still one thing on his mind.

"O-Optimus…" he murmured. "Is it okay for me to ask… what happened to Starscream? How did I become this way? I don't remember anything at all."

Optimus stared deep into his eyes with sincerity, but also with tenderness to show there was no need to worry about what he would say.

"Starscream forced an energy into his body to make himself powerful. He was defeated in battle, but he was heavily damaged by what he had done."

Optimus left out pieces of the truth, and he ended his dialogue there to avoid fumbling a lie.

"So then… that is the reason my body was injured," Moonwing murmured. "My mind too… Then, you had me remodeled so that no one would recognize me…"

Moonwing glanced down at his body once again. The velvety black glimmered within the decorative edges of silver and shades of dark blue. All the plates were well shaped, as though he had been a carefully contemplated project, a piece of artwork. He had always thought that his remodeling had been too expensive, but now he understood why they had been willing to commit to it.

"Who knows who I was?" Moonwing asked.

"All who live on this level are aware," Optimus replied, "the highest military commanders have been notified, Predaking, and a small team of doctors."

"The vehicon too," Smokescreen added offhandedly.

Immediately defensive, Moonwing protested, "He wouldn't tell anyone!"

Smokescreen said, "I didn't mean it like that." To Optimus and Bulkhead, he admitted, "His teacher has a good background and seems smart. I really don't think he has any beef against Star- er, Moonwing either, so there's no reason for him to tell others."

"He told me that he did not care," Moonwing pleaded. "He advised me to be good when I told him what I thought I was. Please leave him alone. He's the one who recommended that I speak with you."

Optimus gazed at Moonwing's face with its wide eyes saturated with concern. He knew that Starscream had grown to care deeply for this vehicon, and now he looked ever so desperate while clinging to the small animal. Yet there was no avoiding the need to begin surveillance on the teacher, as a precaution. Cameras would allow them to get a better understanding of the vehicon, in case he harboured a secret hatred of Starscream and developed a lust for revenge.

"We will not disturb him," was all Optimus said.

"Thank you," Moonwing breathed, stroking the back of the turbofox.

They stood in silence for a few moments. Then, Smokescreen coughed, "So, erm- what are you going to do now? I mean… right now…"

"I'm… not sure," Moonwing mumbled.

"You don't want to go to a book club tonight?"

He shook his head slowly. "No… I'm not ready yet."

Now he passed Spring back to Bulkhead and tottered towards Optimus. Moonwing turned, head down, and pushed his way into the apartment. Smokescreen stared after his limping figure until the door pieced itself back together. Optimus then permitted them to leave, promising to take responsibility for Moonwing's care. Optimus re-entered the apartment, holding the crutches, and saw Moonwing dragging himself around the main room.

"What is it that you are seeking?"

"Oh…" He stiffened in new abashment. "That chain… thing…"

Optimus relaxed, feeling that a piece that had been missing had once again found its place. He led Moonwing to sit on the berth, then he brought back the blanket he had stored away. It was immediately balled up, but not tossed away this time. Moonwing switched on the cool setting, then he hugged the clump against his chest whilst sitting cross-legged and quiet.

It felt so soothing next to his stressed spark. He sighed and missed it, but he also realized how he had missed Optimus beside him and his hand on his back only after Optimus gave him these comforts now. There was truly a sense then that things could go back to how they were before between them. His past felt so far from him now that he could not imagine it could have the power to destroy all that he was being given.

Someone else had come into the hall, someone new that let the yaps of the excited turbofox ring back to life outside. Whoever it may be was about to learn all that had happened, but that didn't bother Moonwing so much anymore. He didn't know the specifics of Starscream's crimes, so he didn't know how he had affected them personally, that he had even killed Arcee's partner in the war. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to have this moment of peace.

It was indeed Arcee who had arrived, and who was the one Bulkhead was now informing. And without so much as knowing the name or meaning of Cliffjumper, Moonwing sat there and hoped that Arcee too was going to trust him and love him as the others did.


	8. Chapter 7: Critical Choices

Moonwing hadn't expected to get so close to Bulkhead, but it happened in a sudden manner. Now, on the daily, he accompanied the massive Autobot while they walked the turbofox. Spring needed a lot of exercise, and it was a great opportunity for Moonwing improve his physical condition. Not long after beginning this habit, he went walking without crutches, although the journey was slower.

Bulkhead let Moonwing hold the leash, reminding him each time with something like, "Just make sure she stays away from the road." It was just until they made it to the park, however, since there he let the turbofox run free. And before they had started this routine, Moonwing had never seen such a place. On a flat turf of metal, there was a large climbing structure in the middle and tree-like spikes that popped up here and there. Such things had been inspired by parks on Earth and were rather popular, he heard. All that could be climbed was large and challenging, and so other Cybertronians were always there, playing and laughing on the park's structures.

Once Moonwing had set the turbofox loose, she tore around the false trees and the bots there. Often, she would get pets from the visitors, and she wasn't always the only creature there. Moonwing watched her with affection when she initiated a game with someone's rusthound, getting happily chased around the structures. Then, he headed to the climbing equipment to dangle from a bar as he always did.

While he had gotten better at walking, his upper body was atrociously weak. Bulkhead came over and watched him hanging, noticing that each time, he could hold on for a little longer. At such times, Bulkhead tried talking to Moonwing like he was any other Autobot. And if Spring did anything particularly amusing, like spinning the wheel on a stranger's leg, then they could laugh together, a deep chuckle mingling with Moonwing's lighter one.

After they had left the park, Bulkhead asked him casually, "So, are you going to vote next week?"

"Oh." He hesitated. "I don't know…"

Moonwing had seen only pieces of the news since the report of the Kaon shooting. The High Council was offering the opportunity for all citizens to arm themselves, but Moonwing didn't know what to think. He heard about the Predacon argument for long, that it wasn't fair that they could have their claws and wander outside of their district with them. The threat of armed Decepticon criminals added the most to the argument for the right to have weapons, however.

Despite it all, Moonwing admitted, "It sounds a bit frightening. Anyone could hurt anyone. Maybe just the police and military should have in-body weapons? Then they would be stronger and couldn't be disarmed."

Bulkhead noted Moonwing's lack of interest in having a weapon of his own.

"Well," Bulkhead went on. "No one likes the idea of being helpless. And everyone wants weapons because Predacons have been getting away with it. It would ease tensions between the races I think."

Moonwing looked down and lowered his wings. He wondered, if the laws had been different, if it would have saved his friends.

"I suppose that you will be voting for the weapons," Moonwing murmured.

"Yeah, I miss being able to bust out my wrecking ball for some proper beatings."

"Won't it be expensive to install all those weapons?" he mumbled. "And take a while?"

Bulkhead shrugged, "Yeah, the police and military will go first, but, everyone will feel safer. You would get weapons too eventually."

Bulkhead still didn't see any interest in Moonwing. Moonwing sighed, "I don't really want any. My body might react off memory and do something I would regret… I'm worried I'll hurt someone."

"Don't worry about it," Bulkhead rumbled. "It'd only be for self-defense, but you have us around to protect you anyway. If you had to do something, then it would be for something serious."

Moonwing exhaled, "D-do you really trust _me_ to have a weapon?"

Bulkhead thought that he could never trust Starscream armed, but this personality he would. So for now, he could honestly answer, "Sure, you don't want to hurt anyone, so I don't think you will go out and do it."

"Of course I wouldn't!" He widened his eyes at the idea.

"See? Nothing to worry about then."

They headed back in quietude and when Moonwing came home, he went on his phone. It was only very recently that he had put out a general post explaining his absence online. All he revealed was his bereavement, and the messages of support received was overwhelming. He grew anxious at the responsibility of responding to all of them at once, thus still ghosted through chats. So as he usually did, he soon after set his phone back on the self.

Moonwing wanted to spend all his free time near Optimus. His friends all wished to see him, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to go out again. It didn't feel like he should go and laugh as he used to as though no one was missing. It was just so much easier to stay and study various topics with Optimus or watch Earth movies with him. At least then, the time spent was peaceful and productive.

Optimus asked him occasionally if he wanted to visit the library or study there. He usually refused, but that week, Moonwing accepted. Part of him stirred when he remembered the selection of things he could study. Finally, he ventured back with Optimus and stepped into the tranquil atmosphere of the Iacon Library. To be there again automatically struck him with a surreal feeling; he struggled to believe that after all that had changed, nothing here had. Life in the library had lumbered on as usual.

Moonwing wandered aimlessly through the aisles, leading Optimus, until he spotted a miner vehicon scrutinizing a shelf. Moonwing paused and watched him, and it was more than his hope that told him it was Shiloh. He knew who it was and was about to approach him, but then they were noticed.

Shiloh glanced up the height of Optimus before backing off.

"Wait!" Moonwing called in a whisper. It was in vain, since the vehicon escaped with his material and did not return. Yet in remembering how much he wanted to befriend him, Moonwing had a rush of recollection. How had he forgotten the sheer joy of making friends and being with them?

He couldn't find the vehicon again, but he had made his choice. Back home, he took possession of his phone once again and lay out on the bed. Optimus was surprised to see Moonwing stretched out and now typing with stark determination, but it was a pleasant feeling of astonishment. It meant that he had at last found a way to cope and continue living like he had before.

So Moonwing had finally come out of hiding, once again setting up meetings with his friends. Consciously trying to be honest, Moonwing explained his feelings to Optimus, then said all that he planned to do after school tomorrow.

"A group will meet me in Kalis," he said. "Whenever we're done walking around, I'll visit Turnblade and his friends and we'll practice Cyclonian."

"I am sure that they will all be pleased to see you again," Optimus said, while noting that Arcee would have to be notified of it all.

Moonwing sighed, "I can't wait."

But the waiting was easy when he was slept well all through the night. In the morning, he headed to school with Smokescreen and would tell Carnation there of his recovery. Moonwing even took the time to socialize with the other students, like he was one of them, before heading to the meeting with his friends. Things were starting to feel as good as before, so Moonwing decided, _It doesn't have to matter_. _The past is over._

Then he visited the Cyclones in Iacon and remembered how entertaining their gargling and raspy language was. He felt absolutely ridiculous and loved it all. It was even better to make Smokescreen jokingly cringe when he repeated what he learned afterwards.

"Whoa no, not to me, Moon! You sound like a broken scrap compactor!"

"I know," he chuckled. "That's what makes it fun."

"They taught you all the swears first," Smokescreen groaned.

They were on route to their home in the High Tower, slowly making their way over on foot since Moonwing was exhausted. They passed along some busy streets with both roaring automobiles and crowded areas, but Moonwing was far less intimidated as he used to be. At ease, he chuckled, "Oh but, in that language it is important to curse. You'll seem emotionless and boring if you don't!"

"If you're that enthusiastic to curse, then maybe I should tell Optimus on you," Smokescreen smirked.

He growled back, " _I'll dent your scrap face_."

"What did you say?" Smokescreen laughed. "Translation?"

"You're the best racer." Moonwing kept a straight face with only the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement.

Smokescreen hit him playfully. "Sure, thanks. I'll just hope that you said something half that nice."

They walked on in high spirits, crossing into a less densely packed area. The smile remained on Moonwing's face, and he squinted his eyes in the warmth of the setting sun. Relaxed and content, he was ready for nothing. Smokescreen too, had been in such a good mood that the world had seemed less dangerous.

All the passersby seemed to be of the same, peaceful bunch. The head peeking over the rise of the building above was spotted by no one. Red eyes narrowed as a new groundbridge remote was gripped in one firm hand. She had to be quick about this, and careful. All she wanted was to nab Starscream and get out without a fight. Her last escape had been difficult, and she knew if chased again, she might not be so lucky.

Moonwing and Smokescreen weren't walking as fast as she would have liked. Nevertheless, she leapt from the building and activated the coordinates. A portal opened up directly in front of them, developing fully as they skidded to a shocked halt. Slipstream had packed away the portal gun was already charging at her target, bodychecking Moonwing toward the portal before he realized what had happened.

He yipped and fell forward, but another hand snagged his wing at the last moment. Flat and clawless, he knew it was Smokescreen who had saved him from falling in. Smokescreen tossed Moonwing far to the side before lifting his gun into his hands. Already, the large Seeker was screeching in frustration. She smacked her forearm against Smokescreen, knocking him off his feet at the same time he shot a scorching point-blank blast into her chest.

The street was cleared of its citizens and tourists, who expected another shooting thus tore off to safety. Through the bustle of fleeing bodies, Moonwing saw a small form dodging legs and incoming fast. Arcee cut through the river, springing at the temporarily stunned Slipstream.

 _Arcee_? Moonwing pulled himself to his feet. _What's she doing here_?

Arcee swung her speed-charged fist into Slipstream's face. The Seeker skidded back only for Smokescreen to hop in and drive in another blow to her burn. She shrieked from more anger than pain, rocketing off her feet to stay clear of them. Landing on a balcony, she evaded Smokescreen's gun and hollered down.

"Come with me!" she called, to him, Moonwing realized. As she moved, she tried to hold her determined and desperate eyes upon Moonwing. "They're lying to you! I can get your memories back! Come with me!"

From below, Moonwing stared up as she blasted off to a higher ledge to stay further out of range. He whispered, "Wh-what?"

She saw his mouth move and understood his confusion.

"I heard it from one of the doctors!" She slipped from side-to-side to avoid the blasts. "They _chose_ to make you this way! They kept this energy in your processor, but I know bots who can take it away!"

Arcee hurled herself at the building and was rapidly climbing up the side.

"They didn't tell you! Your memories can come back, even over time! You're not gone!"

Slipstream launched onto another building before Arcee could reach her. She saw how Moonwing scrunched up, bewildered and frightened. Exactly what she needed.

 _They lied again_? Moonwing stumbled over his legs. _My memories aren't erased_ …

His eyes trailed Arcee as she made mighty leaps across the building tops.

 _She followed me!_ he realized. _No matter what they said, they don't trust me at all!_

Slipstream grew excited at his doubt. She bent down and called, "Go, jump through, Starscream!"

Smokescreen tossed back a frantic glance and sprinted to him. He latched onto Moonwing's wrist before he could even put together his thoughts. Smokescreen tugged him roughly away, pressing him against his back. When Moonwing realized what was going on, he thought, _Smokescreen thought I was actually going to do it! They don't trust me. They think I want to be Starscream, that I am him!_

Arcee lunged at Slipstream from the side. The blue blur was caught in her peripheral vision just before a blade slashed at the side of her throat. Nothing lethal, but precisely calculated. Slipstream gasped as a tranquilizer quickly flowed into her body, already bringing spots of black into her vision.

" _No_!"

She jumped off the building, clutching at the trickle at her throat. Smokescreen backed into Moonwing and fired at her. Slipstream staggered but came in too fast, successfully crashing into Smokescreen. Moonwing gasped and flipped, sliding over the metal and dust. He missed the portal but slid in just to its edge, knowing this from the sucking noises he heard and from the green light around him.

He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees and looked back. Smokescreen struggled under Slipstream's weight, head buried under chest and arms. She fought against her weariness, managing to keep him down for now. Moonwing saw Arcee jumping down from platform-to-platform, rapidly approaching. With spark trembling, Moonwing stood and flinched when Slipstream screamed at him again.

"What are you waiting for? _Go_!"

No one could touch him now. He stood with the pain of knowing that he had been lied to again, fresh and searing aching in his spark that no one wanted to see beyond his past. They refused to trust him, and they seemed to just be acting. Slipstream could not see either that he wanted to live a new life.

With an inward cry of felt betrayal, he thought, _I am not Starscream!_

Then with that, he abandoned them all. Moonwing ducked around the portal and for the first time, he ran. Slipstream lost strength and fell limply over Smokescreen, but then glanced up and saw that Moonwing had disappeared. Assuming he had leapt through, she dragged out the portal gun and erased the data. The portal closed in doing so, leaving her now stranded and unconscious over Smokescreen.

Arcee had just leapt for a bar, missing the crucial moment. No one at all had seen where Moonwing had gone, though it had not been his intention. The portal had closed and Moonwing had already run panting around the corner, disappearing, but only into the streets of Iacon. Driven by agony and sadness, he sprinted as well as he could, tottering and crashing into poles and bots. His vision was blurred by emotion and he did not know where he was going, but his legs only stretched out again and again, trying to gain distance between himself and those who had hurt him.

Moonwing burned up from the exertion, but he dashed down street-after-street gasping. His ankles crossed in one of his tumbles, finally bringing him down skidding past the feet of pedestrians. Autobots jumped back in surprise, gawking at the flier who had sprinted in and landed hard. For lack of understanding, a cluster of laughter rang out around him. Moonwing got up to his feet and dragged himself forward, vision still fuzzy and body pained.

"What's that crazy Seeker doing?" someone snickered.

It was strange to see a flier running, but most didn't remember who he was from the news. Everyone assumed he could fly, so it was absurd that he had been sprinting. It was even more humorous that he had fallen. Without a word, however, Moonwing limped forward then began a feeble jog. The speed increased until he was back running off with a wobble. He left the astonished glances behind, encountered new ones, and deserted them constantly.

Moonwing didn't know how long he had been running for, but the heat overcame him. He headed to a wall of an apartment then slid down it, crumpling into a ball and inhaling deeply to cool his systems.

It was easier to think once he slowed down. He peered around and saw only a single bot walking a pet down the street here. It was very quiet and unfamiliar. He was thoroughly lost but was also unperturbed about it.

 _I want some time to be alone_ , he decided. _They are clearly always watching me, following me. It feels good to be by myself._

Moonwing curled up and rested his head against the cool metal. Slowly, he pried the clamp of his phone off. He didn't want Optimus teleporting to collect him right away as he did before. And assuming that they had caught Slipstream, he felt it would be alright.

 _I know they'll find my life signal eventually, but…_

For now, he detached his phone and placed it under a peeling plate of the ground. He patted it down to hide it.

 _I need some time…_

Too tired to run anymore, Moonwing padded away and enjoyed the breeze tickling his wings. The silence of this neighbourhood felt nice, and there was nowhere else he would rather be. Far from the busy streets and others, he could relish his freedom and peace.

Moonwing walked for a while until he began to regret that his choice might had condemned Slipstream to prison. They were surely arresting her now, and he felt an emotion stir. She had only wanted to help someone she missed and cared about. She hadn't been particularly dangerous like other Decepticons.

 _She said my memories are locked away by an energy…_

Then, had his body also been limited by the same energy? Had his own efforts worn it away so that he could move as he was now?

 _That explains why Optimus told me to forget that I was Starscream. I could wear away the energy in my mind too if I tried._

He sighed. He didn't want to try to remember anyway and become something awful. But knowing that he might remember if he tried, made it difficult to _not_ think about it. As this went on, a headache unlike anything he had ever experienced clutched him tightly. He knew it was the strain against the energy, but as hard as he tried to fight it, he couldn't resist seeking memories.

Greatly pained, he sought out a park and collapsed onto a bench. There, Moonwing groaned softly and placed his head between massaging hands. He tried to relax and focus on the present, but his mind only felt as though it was burning up. Even the metal under his fingertips was certainly warm to the touch.

Moonwing peeked up and afar at someone playing a game of chase with their pet, the only other bot in the park. Moonwing lay across the bench on his front, letting his arm dangle over the edge. Even in this relaxed position, he could not rest his mind. Moonwing sat up straight and sighed, rising to find something to distract himself.

 _I am surprised they haven't come for me yet_ , Moonwing thought. _Maybe not so much time has actually passed._

He departed and walked into more new streets. Some places were still under construction, but there were some new, small shops in the neighbourhood. Moonwing peeked through the windows of one store and saw bags of energon flakes and carved energon statues sitting on shelves. It looked like the place Carnation would have bought gifts for students. Moving on, he then saw Cybertronian sports equipment within a store. He peered in while walking slowly, regarding balls and supplies he had never before seen. Upon espying a familiar form, however, he then paused.

There was a miner vehicon within the store, but Moonwing was not yet certain it was who he wanted it to be. He watched his back carefully, seeing that the vehicon moved quickly and always shook his head while looking for goods. There was no longer any doubt. Moonwing peeled open the door and crept up to the vehicon as he shopped.

"Shiloh?"

The little vehicon jumped and looked back. Then, seeing who it was, Shiloh faced him in full. "Moonwing? How… How did you know it was me?"

Shiloh then checked around him and saw that he was by himself. "Where is everyone? Why are you alone?"

"I recognized you from the way you move," Moonwing answered, then lowered his wings. "As for them… I just wanted to be alone for a while."

"Why is that?" Shiloh asked, and he seemed a lot more comfortable now that it was just them. He stood straight and did not reduce himself to sheepish behavior.

"They didn't trust me…" he sighed. "They'll come back to me soon I bet, but for now…"

Shiloh nodded gently.

"What are you here for?" Moonwing lifted his wings in curiosity. The headache had vanished now.

"Oh, I came for nothing really. Just seeing what is around. I might buy something like a frisbee just for something to do with my friends."

"What are your friends like?"

"Good but… all vehicons."

Shiloh looked off at the shelf. Moonwing limped to his side, but before he could speak, Shiloh asked, "Are you hurt?"

"What? Oh, no. My legs are just tired." But wanting to switch topics, he quickly said, "Though, Shiloh, I wanted to be your friend. Why didn't you ever answer my messages?"

"Ah… I'm sorry about that. You seemed very nice from the start, but I thought _they_ would just read our messages," he replied. "No offense to you."

Moonwing huffed, "Well, it's exactly what they would do. I understand."

"I thought they took good care of you… You don't like them?"

Moonwing moved out of the way of a customer in the aisle, then shrugged. "It's... complicated, so to say."

"I heard that you like everyone… Carnation told me, and some others. Carnation is your teacher, isn't he? Well, anyway… what happened? Do you want to go sit somewhere?"

The vehicon had such a casual voice and demeanor that he felt like he had been one of Moonwing's friends for a long time. He trusted him. He nodded and said, "Yes, thank you."

"Is the park fine? It isn't far."

He agreed. The last streaks of light were fading in the sky as they entered the now emptied park, the same one Moonwing had just visited. Now Moonwing considered that he wasn't meant to be outside at night, but Shiloh didn't seem concerned, so perhaps it wasn't as bad as he had been raised to believe. They sat on the same bench, close and side-by-side in the cooling air.

"I do like them," Moonwing let out the words he had been saving. "I know they're good but… I don't feel comfortable with them."

"I understand that feeling but… why you? What have they done to you?"

 _It's more like what I have done to them_ , he thought. Not sure how to answer without revealing his secret, Moonwing instead asked, "Why do you understand that? You seem… afraid around them in particular. You leave whenever you see them."

Shiloh dipped his head. "Well… I'll tell you the truth. You're not like the others, Moonwing. You're nice to us vehicons and I appreciate that. It's a bit personal, more than just the fact that Autobots slaughtered us on Earth without remorse."

Moonwing leaned down and in towards Shiloh's bowed head.

"Actually, Optimus Prime saved my life," the vehicon said. "But I know if we had met again during the war, he would have killed me like anyone else. So I'm not exactly comfortable around him either."

"He saved you?" Moonwing breathed.

"From the Autobot medic, Ratchet. I was assigned to drill energon and some warrior class vehicons were guarding me, but they all went down when the Autobots attacked. I was scared; I didn't know how to fight, and even if I did, they would have killed me. I tried to run away, but Ratchet caught me and tortured me for information."

"R-Ratchet did that?"

"He burned my face," Shiloh said. "He blinded me on this side."

He touched the right of his face, over his double-banded eyes.

"Optimus stopped him from killing me. But that wound was left untreated until the war ended. No one learned of my betrayal… I am lucky to just be alive."

Hearing all about the miner vehicon's story drove away his own concerns for himself. Moonwing whispered, "I'm so sorry that this happened to you. That both Decepticons and Autobots didn't value your lives."

Shiloh nodded and exhaled, "I always knew that you were different. That is why I felt bad about ignoring you. I wanted to see you instead, to talk to you."

"Moon!"

Moonwing gasped at the deep boom of his nickname. He flinched and held his hunched position, eyes posted forward to see Bulkhead striding across the park. Shiloh sat up so that he wouldn't seem too close to him, but Bulkhead had already seem them murmuring to each other.

"There you are." Bulkhead sounded relieved to see him. Moonwing started to sit up now as Bulkhead sighed, "We were worried."

Moonwing frowned. "Worried about what, exactly?"

Bulkhead blinked, "Well, you!"

Moonwing started to understand why they had taken so long. "You thought I went with her, didn't you... You all thought I actually wanted to."

Shiloh looked at him as Moonwing slouched forward again.

"No one saw where you went, and the portal closed…" Bulkhead tried to explain, then asked instead, "What are you doing here?"

"I ran here," Moonwing muttered.

"Why? Optimus found your phone too. Were you... trying to run away?"

"No. I knew you would track me here eventually. I just wanted some time alone," he grumbled. "And if you're here to take me back, well… I'm not ready to go back. You lied to me again."

Shiloh stayed silent as he stayed by Moonwing's side.

"We're sorry," Bulkhead tried again. "But you have to come back. It's getting late and we should just have another talk."

"So you can lie again?" Moonwing retorted. "Slipstream was the only one who seemed to care about me. She risked so much just to tell me the truth, and she never even _liked_ me that much!"

Moonwing's body suddenly felt cold. Bulkhead froze, and the vehicon stared at them in confusion.

He coughed, spark shaking, and stammered, "From what I heard. But the point is… I just don't know if you all even c-care about me. You clearly don't trust me, having Arcee follow me like that! I only know that my friends want to be with me without watching me like a prisoner."

"We're just worried that someone will hurt you," Bulkhead said.

"No, you're worried that I'll be the one to hurt someone. You don't believe I want to be good. But I promised you… and even with what she said… Nothing has changed. I know who I am. The past will never happen again."

Bulkhead fell silent, not immediately knowing how to reply to his outburst. By then though, Moonwing spotted Optimus, Arcee, and Smokescreen striding to his location. Perhaps Bulkhead had sent them a heads up after pinpointing his exact position here on the bench. Shiloh shifted, but remained protectively by Moonwing's side. Just from that was Moonwing able to find more courage for what was to come.

"Moony!" Smokescreen called. "You're okay!"

He had the sense that Smokescreen had asked to come with them. Nevertheless, Moonwing remembered how Smokescreen had held onto him in fear that he would jump through the portal. He targeted him and barked, "I wasn't going to go through the portal, Smokescreen! How could you think that?"

Smokescreen's eyes widened. "Wh-what?"

He was surprised by the direct address, but Moonwing didn't care. He bristled in irritation. "And so Arcee was following us too? How long has that been going on?"

He cast his glare at Optimus. He was holding his phone in hand, which looked utterly small in his massive grasp. The phone that was tracked for obvious reasons, with messages undoubtedly monitored.

"You've been planning all this," Moonwing accused him with a hint of a whine. "But you aren't helping _me_ , you're helping others! You just want a criminal vanquished, the eternal disappearance of your enemy!"

He stopped caring that the vehicon heard all this, and that he might have already inferred what was happening. Shiloh was far from feeling like his enemy when they stood before him.

"You're just afraid of what I will do," he uttered. "No matter how I act, you still just distrust me. I don't want to live like that, never knowing what you are thinking! I know I was bad, but I don't want to live like this- I _cannot_!"

Moonwing looked down. With Shiloh there, he kept his voice steady enough to breathe out, "Keep that phone. I know how you are using it."

"Hey, hey," Smokescreen tried to hush him. "There's no need to be rash!"

Optimus agreed in a rumble, "Moonwing, you do not need to be upset. Your concerns about us are false."

Shiloh looked back at Moonwing when he murmured, "No, I've made my choice. I'm not going back. I want to live alone."

"What?" Smokescreen yelped. "You can't, you haven't even-"

Optimus held out a hand to calm him. "That would not be advisable. You have no way of supporting yourself, and you have not yet completed elementary education. However, if you come with us, we will find a solution so that you feel welcome living with us."

Moonwing knew all students lived with a host, but he decided that he would find his own way. He would live with his friends until he found a job if it were necessary. Moonwing was already firmly laying out a plan for his future when a hesitant murmur arose beside him.

"Go home with them," the little vehicon said. "Everything will be okay."

His voice made all the thoughts skid to a halt. Moonwing turned Shiloh and found his bitterness drained from his voice. To him, he now whispered, "What? Y- _you_ think so?"

The half-blind vehicon nodded. Moonwing was stunned; Shiloh had just explained what had been done to him, yet he was _supporting_ these Autobots?

"You will feel different later," Shiloh assured him quietly. "A lot just happened and… you need to cool down a bit."

Moonwing knit his mouth shut. He had been on a streak of anger, but now that he had been interrupted, he already felt uncertain of his feelings. Perhaps he was making a rash choice, and Shiloh was warning him from experience.

 _He probably lives alone and knows what it is like better than me…_ Then Moonwing pondered with a sinking feeling, _Maybe he wishes he could have what I do. I might just be about to give up a good thing_.

He thought about home, where he could lay with his blanket in comfort and safety. With wings falling, he wondered and hoped that there was a chance that they did love him. He really did not want to abandon such a thing so hastily.

He squeezed his legs together as his wings dug into the bars of the bench's backrest. Moonwing could not bear the eyes on him as he developed a guilty conscious.

 _I don't know exactly what I did. Maybe I shouldn't be so offended that they're afraid of me… I should take responsibility for my past_.

He felt a tinge of a headache, but he was overwhelmed by the want to be held by someone.

 _I am not like any other student. I am not the victim Moonwing, and the fact that they are trying so hard to help their enemy is astounding. They wanted to change my personality before I figured out the truth and regained my memories. How can I blame them for what they did?_

Moonwing closed his eyes and thought of what Carnation had said. He had been given a chance. He, Starscream, was despised by Autobots and Decepticons of the new society, yet they had taken his wounded body and decided he should be given mercy. They weren't taking away his freedom; they were granting him it.

"Okay," he sighed like a breeze. "I understand…"

He touched Shiloh's shoulder as he made his way to unstable feet. Undeniably exhausted, he let his legs tremble as he turned to the vehicon.

"Thank you," he murmured. "I… I hope we can see each other again."

The vehicon seemed to relax a little. "Yes, see you later."

Moonwing shambled up to the Autobots without being able to hold eye contact. He joined their ranks as Shiloh remained behind, head tilted to watch them shuffle across the shadow-strewn park. Moonwing glanced back once, then kept his gaze on the ground. He still did not know where they were, but soon recognizable surroundings formed around him. It turned out he had been close to the library, and now they passed its towering form illuminated by the city lights.

 _Everything will be okay._

When they finally reached the privacy of the upper level of the High Tower, Moonwing broke the silence that had gripped everyone.

"It is inevitable then, that I will remember everything," he affirmed. "But my promise remains. I will never commit a crime again. You will want to hold a trial for me, and there is no doubt in my spark that I will pass it. Because of that… I only wish we hold that trial in secret. If the world learns who I really am, then… then my reputation will be ruined and I will never be free to do good for Cybertron."

"Your request is accepted," Optimus answered with a tone only benign. "Those who are cognizant of your situation will be the sole ones to attend and judge your Trial."

A weight slid off his shoulders. Optimus had confirmed that his future was up to him, that he could do whatever he pleased so long as he passed his Trial.

"Thank you, Optimus Prime." He held a hand over his chest and spark.

Moonwing followed Optimus to their apartment, and the others were left to awkwardly drift away. They obviously wanted there to be more, that they could say something as well, but it was not to be. Moonwing slid into the apartment and set his fatigued self into the awaiting berth. Optimus lay his phone onto the shelf behind him, the one crowded with his gifts, then found his chain blanket. He had almost forgotten it, but then the flier accepted it into his arms with gratitude.

Shiloh had been right. Now that he had calmed down, he could see that it wasn't so bad being here. Optimus had listened to him, and it seemed that no matter what, he would be able to live his life.

 _I am guaranteed to remember,_ he thought. _But this new beginning showed me what it is like to rely on others. I know what friendship and caring is. I will not revert back to the Decepticon I was._

It felt like undeniable truth. Re-emerging into the world with an unbiased view had let him learn things his stubborn mind would never have accepted before.

 _Moonwing is not who I am. It is my alias, but I am Starscream. And that is who I will always be because I cannot change that. I will accept it and just be Starscream, but good. There are skills deep inside me that I know I can employ to help others._

Like this, he could come to terms that he was not a separate person and never had been. Starscream spread the blanket over himself and curled into the heat, contented by his own determination.

 _I will heal myself_ , he vowed in the final moments before drowsiness blurred his thoughts. _I will redeem myself thousands of times over. If I protect bots, save them…_

At last, Starscream knew what he would do after graduation. There, at the end of the momentous day, it had been decided whilst he lay back in the berth about to fall asleep.

 _I will work and train until I am ready. Then, I will become a Seeker officer of the law!_

* * *

 _End Part One_


	9. P2: Chapter 8: Beginning Independence

_Begin Part Two: The Seeker's Path_

* * *

"Look, Slipstream yelled something about a doctor that tipped her off," Smokescreen said. "I'm putting my money on the one former Decepticreep mad doc."

They always assumed that he would sleep, but Starscream had grown so sensitive that he easily woke at the slightest difference in the environment. When it was too quiet, he felt the absence of Optimus. Then, he could hear the hall whispers and sneak over to them.

"Why do you think he'd do it?" Bulkhead asked.

"Probably for money," Windblade uttered. Starscream raised his brows to hear that this High Council member had joined the conversation. She had always seemed to ignore his existence.

"But he's already rich," Arcee countered. "Not to defend him, but I think any of those doctors would have crumpled for the right amount of shanix."

Jazz offered, "Why not test out all the doctors involved with the patch? We'll check their memories and pull out the true bad doc."

 _Everyone's involved then_ , Starscream noted.

"This would be the most effective solution," Optimus rumbled in agreement. "But we must gather them discreetly, lest we frighten away the perpetrator."

"Probably was Knockout though," Smokescreen grumbled.

 _Knockout_ …

That name felt all so familiar. The pun of the name remained in the Cybertronian language, a blend of the words for beauty and strike. Hearing that he was supposedly rich started to put an image into his mind. A headache slunk in, but he began to see a shining, red bot with porcelain-white face and arm detailing like tattoos.

 _I know him_ , he recognized. _But_ _from when_ , _and what was our relationship?_

Starscream was worried that the conversation was closing as they decided upon solutions. He didn't stay to hear the rest in case he was caught eavesdropping. Instead, he crept off to the berth to lie in the same position he had been in before.

 _Knockout, Knockout_ …

He didn't want to remember his crimes yet, but a longing grew to remember this bot in particular. Starscream felt a complicated emotion when he envisaged the doctor walking through shortened memories. There was a prick of tenderness in the irritation. He had a reason to like him, and many reasons to hate him.

There were many grey walls in his forming memories. _The Nemesis_. In a jumble, he remembered being with Knockout, yelling at him without understanding why. A long finger of his scratched Knockout's chest, drawing an ugly curve over the red. It drew no blood, but it had initiated dramatic screaming. It led Starscream to remember the doctor's obsession with a perfect appearance.

The next memories came as a stream of bickering that filled him with more annoyance. Yet it became clear that Knockout had been near him in the final days of the war. Thoughts wandering, Starscream explored the Nemesis warship more and saw various blurry shapes. There were vehicons, but others that stood out among them, too hazy to recognize.

 _Since I am Starscream, I was around the other famous names. Megatron was my leader… I heard that I hated him, that I tried to take his position. Why?_

But Starscream was a little afraid to remember Megatron. If he remembered him, then he was sure to remember his own crimes alongside the Decepticon leader. He couldn't avoid a flash however, of the large, silver brute with merciless, red eyes, and pointed teeth. Starscream let out a little gasp as deep in his mind, a fresh emotion slithered through: fear.

 _Starscream was supposed to be talented and a powerful Air Commander. Why am I afraid then?_

"Aie," he whispered and clutched his head with a hand. He was pushing himself a bit too much.

Yet a cascade of flashing memories poured into him without caution. All at once, multiple scenes of abuse returned to him. He saw that vicious face coming for him, rough hands grabbing, throwing, punching- he saw the world spinning with the turns of his battered body, and his own hands vainly trying to cover himself. All the pain was recalled and he gasped for the memories to end, but there were so many that came that Starscream could imagine the injuries opening up on him now.

That face filled every corner of his mind. Starscream writhed in the berth and kneaded the blanket with gritted teeth and shut eyes. He wondered what had caused Megatron's fury, and he lay shivering when the answer came to mind as a particular scene that began to unfold.

 _My ambition… I've gone too far!_

He had tried to flee. He remembered vaguely now, that he had left Megatron comatose to seize control. Yet Megatron had snagged him from the air, and he had him now. A hand squeezed his face painfully tight and dragged him away by it despite his pleas.

 _Why am I not fighting? Why am I just giving up? Don't beg; it doesn't work, you know that. He isn't going to spare you…_

In an enclosed room, the Megatron of the past had slammed him to the floor and had prepared to release his rage. Starscream felt himself clasping his hands together and shaking them, but Megatron's previous words were repeated in his mind now.

" _Oh, it will be a miracle alright, Starscream. If you survive what I have planned for you!_ "

He remembered a flurry of attacks that caught his bowed form off-guard. Now he was cornered under the giant where there was no escape from the relentless kicks and fists. Starscream jerked in the berth as though it would help him, beginning to whimper as he remembered how Megatron had not stopped no matter how he yowled.

It would not end. Megatron snatched him and hurled him from wall-to-wall, hurling his dizzy and terrified body like a bent piece of scrap. Starscream's legs churned in the present, in desperation for something to be done. Surely, something _had_ been done to end it? How much longer did this memory go on like this?

He soon realized that nothing was going to happen. He wasn't going to fight back, and he was most certainly not escaping.

 _He is going to terminate me!_

Clawed fingers raked over his wings and face, peeling deep into the metal-

 _Fight back!_

It was all too much. The headache, the terror- Starscream yipped automatically and kicked out. The sound attracted Optimus into the room like a beacon, the door opening just as Starscream sat up quaking. Seeing Optimus hurrying made Starscream realize the cry he had just released. Starscream brushed his hand over his own mouth and went still.

Optimus's presence drove off any more memories from coming, and now Starscream regretted letting them flow as freely as they had.

 _I shouldn't have thought too hard about Knockout. Look at where I went when I didn't stop myself._

"What happened?"

Starscream shook his head and slid his weary eyes shut. "A nightmare," he breathed.

He hunted down the blanket and put it back over himself. Although he lay down as though to fall back asleep as normal, he knew Optimus understood that it had been memories that had disturbed him.

 _It doesn't matter_ , he tried to tell himself again.

Now he truly just wanted some undisturbed rest. Starscream turned on the cool setting on the blanket to make his body lose its feverish heat. It worked to ease him, although the sleep that ensued was not peaceful. His head dully throbbed and there was violence in his usually tame dreams.

Instead of exploring the newly built areas on Cybertron in his dreams, he saw those places in ruins and speckled with rusted carcasses. Yet there was a degree of indifference within him as he did not care that there were bodies. At the same time, the ignorant part of himself panicked at the sight of them. In the confusion of feelings, he jolted awake feeling warm from the strain and fear.

 _Why was I frightened?_ At first, he felt that this reaction was overly strong.

Then came the argument, _I should feel this way. There were dead Cybertronians._

 _I didn't know them._

A soft emotion from his uncorrupted mind stroked his bristling spark _._ _They didn't want to die. It is a feeling I know well._

 _It was survival_ , he argued mildly, but felt that the strength behind this words had already waned.

 _No_. _I shouldn't defend this detached emotion. I know how they feel… felt… It is sickening. Death and destruction._

He felt a heaviness in his organs, as though he would purge his insides of their contents. Starscream thought it would now be best to stop thinking of his past, not only because it made him ill, but too much had rushed at him too fast. At this rate, it would be hard to control his old view of the world as he was already arguing with himself.

 _What I need to do now is focus on my training._

Starscream managed to fall into a tranquil rest that exceeded expectations. He was so exhausted from his earlier running and stress that he did not awaken until the next evening. Blinking groggily, he turned onto his side and soon realized the band of sunlight on the floor was not growing, but fading. Sunset had passed, and a new night was upon them.

Starscream sat up and felt a spell of dizziness, but glanced left-to-right and realized there was no one there. Concerned, Starscream dropped his legs over the side of the bed to investigate the possibly empty home.

He took a silent step then winced at the stiffness in his legs. Stepping away from the berth though, Starscream felt an eerie feeling drape over him. Listening closely, he thought he heard a dragging sound that might have come from within the apartment.

 _No, someone is here_.

His instincts told him to be wary, but he argued, _It couldn't be anyone but someone Optimus invited in._

Starscream still couldn't force himself to approach normally. For the first time, he crept through the home with stealth, listening carefully to another dragging sound. His wings dropped horizontally and stayed pressed in and pricked as he neared the corner. He peeked into a storage area to pick out Smokescreen with his back to him. He relaxed, then carried on approaching him.

Starscream had just opened his mouth when Smokescreen turned with a small container of energon in his grasp. Smokescreen immediately gasped at his sudden manifestation, and Starscream moved back.

"Y-you're awake," Smokescreen tried to laugh it off. "So uh, working on a Soundwave impression or something?"

Starscream became aware of the Autobot's reaction. Surely, anyone would be uncomfortable with him behind their backs. He felt a tinge of guilt for creeping up on Smokescreen.

"S-sorry," he stammered, trying to move on. "I was only confused… What happened? Where is Optimus?"

He tried not to look suspicious, clearing his facial expression and lifting his wings in a friendly manner.

Smokescreen knew Starscream had the ability to play innocent, but he felt that it was too soon for the return of those tricks. He assumed he was genuinely confused, so he replied, "Well, he's helping run Slipstream's Trial right now."

"Already?" He raised his brows.

"He just left, but he shouldn't be gone for much longer. But until then, I'm here and Optimus said you haven't drank anything in a while…" Smokescreen now held out the cup to him. "So I was just about to wake you anyway."

It was true. Starscream felt so weak, and he had forgotten entirely about refuelling. He took the cup awkwardly, mumbling, "Th-thank you…"

He turned away, not wanting to be watched. He drank the energon on the way back to the berth then left it to the side. Starscream felt a stir of emotion about the news of Slipstream, a kind of disappointment again that she had been captured. However, he tried to think of the future to escape the past. He shouldn't dwell on his old lieutenant.

 _If I let my body recover, then it will be stronger and more prepared for the next thing._

Starscream couldn't think of anything else to do now but recharge. If he turned on the television, the news would only broadcast the Trial. Watching any sort of innocent movie also would not go with Smokescreen here. Being _Starscream_ made him sure that others would only find it weird that he could enjoy watching an Earth family movie. They might find it immature, and for some reason the thought of being laughed at bothered him greatly. Something deep within seethed. He didn't want anyone to ever laugh at him again.

The feeling was so fierce that he didn't even think to argue against it. It suddenly felt that it was a logical emotion that had its place.

So he ignored Smokescreen and slept until morning. Smokescreen was gone by then, and Optimus returned with the High Council and all who had gone to the Trial. Starscream had woken briefly at the sounds of their arrival, but he pretended to be asleep when Optimus relieved Smokescreen. Once dawn came, Starscream sat up refreshed and tilted his head to the window. He usually slept later than this, but now he saw night descending and transforming into day.

He was soon attracted to the window, where he grabbed the ledge and calmly watched over Iacon. It was cool by the glass, but he stayed to watch the shadows shrink until it was time for school. And he waited for a knock at the door, how Smokescreen usually announced that he had come to collect him nowadays.

It never came.

He turned to Optimus. "Isn't Smokescreen coming?"

After a pause, Optimus answered, "He will not be."

Starscream frowned, nervous. "Don't I still have to go to the school? Is it not vital in obtaining a job?"

"You are still expected to go there."

"Are you saying… that you are letting me go alone?"

"So long as you take your cellular device with you."

Even if he thought someone would follow him, Starscream was surprised. Optimus must have been testing him, giving him independence and responsibility. He agreed, but felt out of place when he clamped on his phone and took his card. He had never made this journey alone, but excitement stirred in his chest as he walked past the Elite Guards and followed the familiar path.

Starscream looked all around himself for danger, walking and feeling that he was wearing the pelt of another creature. He imagined that the others could easily see through him, but he used the groundbridge like anyone else, no one singling him out from the crowd.

 _It feels more obvious to me than to them_.

At the school, Starscream was confronted by short lines and voting machines. Promptly he remembered the subject, and realized why Slipstream had done such a rash attack.

 _She wanted to come before the vote for the in-body weapons_.

Not that it had served her any good. Starscream stepped up to a machine that quickly scanned his chest, recording his life signal. It was strange to see _Moonwing_ appear on the screen before it offered him the vote. It was a normal Cybertronian name, yet it seemed so fake to him now.

When it came to the vote, Starscream recalled that the Autobots he lived among had wanted these weapons. But now, he felt a draw to them as well. He hesitated to chastise himself, protesting, _Why do I want weapons? I do not want to bring harm upon anyone._

It wasn't what he had felt before.

 _It's just for self-defense_ , he assured himself. _Just because they caught Slipstream doesn't mean there aren't other desperate Decepticons out there_.

He clicked and voted for the weapons. There was a small flicker of satisfaction within him.

Starscream entered his first class and felt as though he was missing his shadow. Instantly, he was asked about his lack of Guard. He flicked his silver eyes over the faces of those who had grown to respect him, then replied loud enough for all to hear.

"My physical condition has improved enough that I can travel on my own."

But was it completely true? He may have been followed here, and the tracking device made it seem that he was _always_ being accompanied.

 _It does feel different though_ , he thought. There was no one to look to for permission. Starscream could proceed to where he wanted to, choosing before potentially being stopped.

Carnation was also surprised that Smokescreen was gone, but he was more interested in how his discussion with his guardians had gone. After all the classes, Starscream hustled to the vehicon's office where he was keenly waiting. He wanted to listen, and Starscream wanted to have at least one friend to spill everything to.

So as before, he sat on the same side of the teacher and spoke lowly. He told him of the evening drama, his returning memories, and how he was already arguing with himself internally. This vehicon became the first to hear his true goal.

"I am going to save lives," Starscream said. "Anyone's, no matter who they are… I am going to train to become a police officer."

"Police? Or military police?" Carnation asked. "Were you intending to become a Seeker?"

Starscream nodded, warm pride within him.

The vehicon said, "I understand. It is what you are in your spark."

"You aren't worried?"

"Your skills will raise you to the highest ranks," Carnation agreed, "but I think you will use your power well this time."

Starscream puffed out his chest in pleasure. He needed this kind of confidence from someone else, so that he could keep his own determination burning.

Though curious, Starscream sighed. "Why do you care about me? It's not like I ever cared about vehicons, even of my own armada."

"As true as that is, I still feel loyalty to you. Especially as I am essentially the last warrior of that armada."

Starscream paused at the statement. He looked down from the vehicon's red stare and gazed at the desk.

"Is something wrong?" Carnation asked his slouching posture.

Starscream hesitated. He felt himself at the head of rows and columns of ghosts, with Carnation somewhere among them all. There was a fleeting sense of rapture to lead them all, then a crushing strike of sorrow. It felt like a new feeling, not something from his past.

"I don't know," he whispered.

Carnation waited in curiosity.

"Sadness, perhaps," Starscream exhaled. "For what? I shouldn't miss the War, but… there is something…"

The loss of the vehicons felt like a void that couldn't be filled.

"You," he breathed. "The vehicons… My Seekers…"

"We weren't trained Seekers," Carnation murmured. "We were far from it."

"I don't care. No." He felt a sure burning in his spark. "I didn't want you to die… At least, that is how I feel now."

 _This feeling is new, but ancient… But I know I have never felt it for vehicons before._

It was loyalty, like Carnation felt for him. Yet Starscream knew this loyalty was warmer than the sense he had of his loyalty to Megatron in the final year of the War. It wasn't security; it was voluntary, reciprocated…

 _A form of love for other Seekers._

"I am going to push my body until I can transform again." Starscream lifted his chin. "I don't care if it takes stellar cycles. I will get a part-time job until then and exercise regularly."

He didn't know what he would chose, but Carnation said, "I will ask around and find you one by graduation."

Starscream forgot the darkness of his memories, whilst the steps of his future seemed to lay themselves out before him. After he left the school, he returned to Iacon, but did not go directly home. He agreed to meet some Cyclone minicons there, and he walked to one of their homes. Besides physical activities, Starscream could improve other skills until he was strong enough to join a military academy. So he studied the Cyclonian language with these former Decepticons, and since it did not come easily to him, Starscream knew he had never known it in his past.

He prowled home with a sense of achievement. Arriving in the Square, Starscream was identified and allowed to re-enter the protected living complex. He wondered who in the world had been tracking him, perhaps stalking him, but did not care too much. Starscream flashed his eyes to the stairs and decided _this_ was what mattered now. He pattered into the stairwell and snatched the rail, limping up each stair. Even if it took a horribly long time, two feet slipping onto each step, he arrived at the top.

The delight was overwhelming. He had pushed through until the end, and had loyally returned to these Autobots on his own accord. Optimus did not look surprised when he returned, which pleased Starscream more. He sat down with satisfaction about his day, and even offered to study with Optimus. Now more than ever, there was a reason to memorize Cybertronian Law. The road ahead would be easier if he studied material beforehand.

 _Step-by-step_ , he thought, and imagined his drag up the stairs that had been slow but firm. _I will prove that I am trustworthy. I will fight against myself, pass the Trial, and get into a police academy. No matter how much time I need…_

Starscream tried to value loyalty in particular above all other virtues. The more he stayed with the new bots in his life, the easier it was to focus on the present and future. When he rested, some memories flashed into his mind, but they were still vague and did not provide information about himself. More often, he remembered the actions of other Decepticons instead of his own.

As it had been before, Bulkhead invited him to walk his pet with him. Starscream was nervous at first, greatly concerned about what Bulkhead thought of him when they finally ventured out into the streets. There was also a weight of embarrassment that he felt for how he had acted before, when he had yelled at them and run off on his alone. It had not been very mature of him either.

Starscream wanted to ask questions like _Will you ever like me even if I am good?_ , but felt it was too early. Furthermore, it would doom the walks to overwhelming awkwardness. Considering Bulkhead's emotions as well as Optimus's and the others', Starscream knew such questions would drive them into discomfort.

 _Things already feel better though_ , he sighed internally. _Shiloh was right. And maybe I will feel more comfortable the more time passes._

Starscream dangled from the bar for as long as he could, but now also attempted pull-ups. In the beginning, he only managed bobbing into half pull-ups, always sinking down faster than he could control. If he tried to push past the halfway point, he got stuck in a fiercely trembling pose. Yet he was not discouraged; he tried multiple times, improving after each walking session ended with weary burns in his arms.

Things were peaceful at the moment, though Starscream always walked with caution and usually kept friends close by. No one truly brought up his situation, and the one time he visited Ratchet for a body scan, they did not speak much. Only once had he caught a discussion in the hall, revealing that the "body stylist" and doctor Knockout was innocent. That they still needed to track down the true traitor among the doctors.

 _Knockout didn't betray them_. Somehow, the thought warmed him with pride, even though Starscream had a sense that Knockout had done something quite offensive to him that he couldn't remember.

Starscream studied laws and kept up with the news in his spare time, pushing aside leisurely activities like movie-watching. The vote had passed and the police and military were receiving their in-body weapons first. Additionally, bipedal anger towards the Predacons had eased, though it seemed that the opposite was not true. The ban of transformation for Predacons outside of their district was the largest strain in the world, second only to the broad effort to end Decepticon crime.

The news often repeated the status of famous Decepticons and added in information about known recent activity of a suspect. Many times in the weeks that passed by, Starscream watched the similar lists appear with faces, names, and statuses. Some names felt completely unfamiliar, but he memorized them regardless.

The ones he felt a connection to were the easiest to pick out each time from the long list.

 _Megatron: Location and status unknown_

 _Soundwave: Imprisoned in Kaon_

 _Shockwave: Location and status unknown_

 _Airachnid: Imprisoned in Quarantine_

 _Starscream: Offline_

 _Skywarp: Offline_

 _Thundercracker: Offline_

 _Slipstream: Imprisoned in Kaon_

 _Dreadwing: Offline_

 _Skyquake: Offline_

 _Makeshift: Offline_

Of course he had been taught about other imprisoned Decepticons such as Steeljaw, but something was missing. No memories came up, so he thought that perhaps he never met or had meaningful experiences with some of these dangerous Decepticons.

 _Or maybe I hadn't paid enough attention to those who weren't Seekers_ , he had reflected. Apparently, _Starscream_ had considered bipedal fliers to be the superior race.

Starscream carried out his rigid routine for months to follow. Daily, he met with others and used the time to improve his strength. Slowly, he needed less rest, but still he recharged daily. On a particular night, Starscream decided he did not need to rest immediately at nightfall. He discovered he could stay awake until half the night had passed. Pleased, he decided he could fill that time with more exercise.

The miner vehicon Shiloh never revealed his home address over the phone, but they met up often in the streets during the night hours. Starscream wondered why the vehicon enjoyed being out in the cool and shady period, but the response was that his clubs were scheduled late. He had adapted to prefer it, and to enjoy the sense of danger.

"It keeps me sharp," he insisted. "I learned to know where danger might be, and how to end confrontations."

"Confrontations?" Starscream asked on one of their walks.

"There are many cowards who think vehicons are easy targets."

Shiloh was incredibly interesting, but Starscream knew there was a tension in their relationship. He was sure that Shiloh, the miner vehicon, knew who he truly was. Starscream didn't know him as well as Carnation yet, and hoped that he would not spread the truth to others. Then again, if Shiloh hadn't deduced it from the previous drama, bringing up the topic would inform him.

"What do you do then?" Starscream asked.

Recently in their few excursions together, Starscream had learned that the vehicon participated in sword-fighting and dance clubs. Although Shiloh always kept his tone near neutral, he seemed passionate about quick and precise activities. It affected his regular movements, making it easy to tell him apart from any other miner vehicon coloured purple on the streets.

"Sometimes calling them out is enough," Shiloh replied. "Remember, excessive violence will only get me into trouble. _Especially_ because I used to be a Decepticon."

The way he stared back at Starscream, although without visible emotion, seemed to convey that his words spoke for them both.

"Of course," he murmured, thrown off. "I have read about how much force is legally allowed in self-defense…"

The discomfort simmered hoter than ever before. Starscream wasn't sure he could continue on without knowing what Shiloh knew.

When they came to a park, Shiloh hopped up the equipment and perched at the highest point. Starscream was not so nimble, but he wanted to join him up there. As a precaution, he unclipped his phone and tossed it on the ground. Then, very carefully and slowly, Starscream climbed to the top to sit beside him and engage in conversation.

"I need to know something," Starscream whispered, glancing around the night scene.

Shiloh looked down to the phone below. "What is it?"

"What were you thinking that night, when I ran off?"

Shiloh paused. "Well… I am not sure."

"Just say it."

The vehicon murmured, "It just seemed like… that you were not who you say you are."

Starscream stared, waiting. For once, the vehicon seemed to be nervous of _him_ , shrinking up like he was one of Team Prime's Autobots.

"I'm not angry if you know."

"I see…"

After a break in their whispering, Shiloh muttered, "But, who knows what _they_ would think if I knew? They would just come spy on me too."

"If you aren't doing anything wrong, is it bad to be watched?"

Shiloh shrugged. "I'm not entirely innocent. There are some things that aren't exactly legal… that I do."

"I'm not fully legal either."

"You haven't done any illegal actions of your own so far," Shiloh said. "But modern vehicon habits… None of us are innocent, you know."

"Like what?"

Shiloh said, "Tell me yours first."

Starscream hesitated, "You… can't tell anyone else. Not even other vehicons."

"Alright. You don't tell anyone what I say _except to_ other vehicons."

"Deal," Starscream said.

The miner vehicon agreed.

"You are right," Starscream uttered in a breath. "I _am_ Starscream, but without my memories. Yet, they will come back, and they know it."

He did not appear surprised in the slightest.

"How much do you care?" Starscream found amusement in his nonchalance.

Shiloh chuckled, "I had a long time to get over it. And no, I didn't tell anyone what I thought. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't want those Autobots coming after me anyway."

"Why do you hang out with me then?"

The vehicon said, "You're the only non-vehicon friend I have. You went out of your way to talk to me, and you treat me like an individual. You're not like how you were before."

"Did I ever do anything to you?"

"No, not me. I only saw glimpses of you before, so I have nothing against you. That's why I don't care if you're the newly forged Moonwing or Starscream- it's the same difference for me. You're just my friend."

Starscream nodded, rather relieved. But he vaguely recalled hitting vehicons before, and slapping a warrior-class vehicon across the face.

"As for me, I've been carrying a weapon before the law changed," Shiloh shrugged. "I mean we all do. Everyone comes after us, you know. Think they can rob vehicons without a problem."

Shiloh flicked out a small blade into his hand so fast that Starscream hardly saw his forearm open up. The vehicon kept his hand curled around it, in case they were being watched, then slid it back into his arm.

"The next one is worse, but it isn't anything horrible," Shiloh said. "Don't even think of telling anyone else, or else they'll shut us down."

"What is it?"

"We vehicons have this club," Shiloh explained. "But it's a dead zone. I know it sounds criminal, but it's just a private place for talk and parties."

Starscream perked. "You have a dead zone? How many vehicons go there?"

"I don't go _all_ the time, but usually fifty show up. It's just for this area. There are other clubs elsewhere."

Then Shiloh said, "You should go."

"Me?"

"We could put your phone in my house or something. Just for a bit."

Starscream shuffled, not wanting to get in trouble for doing this. "I am not sure…"

"You're not a vehicon, but they'll let you in. A few already know you as their friend Moonwing."

Starscream burned with new excitement. He was incredibly curious about the secret lives of the vehicons, so he dropped some of his guard. "Alright. As long as we aren't gone for too long."

"We won't be. I don't ever stay so long anyway," Shiloh paused. "Actually, there's someone there you should meet. It's open now. If you come with me, I can teleport us there. We'll just have to go to my place first."

Shiloh climbed down quickly and looked up to Starscream. The flier gazed down with more interest at the small vehicon. Shiloh had never invited him over before either. He snuck down and gathered his phone, then followed the vehicon into the streets that Starscream had dashed through before. Shiloh came to an average apartment of plain silver, then he led Starscream inside to his home.

There was a vast difference in size and quality of the place compared to Carnation's house, but Shiloh was reportedly a common construction worker. Their wages could not compare.

"Leave your cell anywhere," Shiloh said, disappearing into another room.

Starscream put his phone on a shelf and stood waiting, looking around the tidy place. The vehicon owned a small television and had glass ornaments on a shelf beside flasks of energon. Sports equipment was plentiful, but organised into squares compartments in the wall. There was nothing amiss about the place, and it was the same as any other citizen's home.

Shiloh padded in with a portal gun, much like the one Slipstream had had. He locked the door, then said, "Alright. Ready?"

Starscream asked, "Who was it exactly who you want to introduce me to?"

"There's a vehicon from Altihex," Shiloh explained. "His name's Steve. Everyone knows about him because of one reason."

At the press of a button, a portal opened wide and shone blindingly in the dim room. Shiloh moved toward it with Starscream following him. The vehicon turned his good side back to glance at him, making sure he was right behind him.

"He's a bit distressed you see, since he thinks you're dead. You can trust him with your secret, and you ought to. Steve is absolutely obsessed with you, Starscream."

Starscream closed his eyes and stepped into the heart of the portal. Shiloh disappeared, then he followed suit. They immediately appeared in a dark hall with muffled sounds of instruments and singing sounding out nearby. The world felt so heavy and uncomfortable, and Starscream sensed that they were somewhere deep underground. The portal closed up, then Shiloh moved on confidently ahead, twisting around corners and following the lights in the ceiling.

"Why would a vehicon I don't know care that I died?" Starscream asked, hurrying to maintain his position at Shiloh's side.

"I have no clue." He shrugged. "He sympathizes with you or something, but no one is completely sure what makes him so attached to you. You might meet some vehicons who miss Megatron, but Steve doesn't care about him at all. Just you. He might not even know the reason why himself. But, if there's a story, he would tell you."

The music grew louder, but it was tamed and not energetic. There was a silky voice ringing out with violinesque harmony accompanying it. If there was a party taking place, then it was nothing like those in the Earth movies. Whatever was being played was instead classy and delicate. Starscream stared at the double-doors they came to, finding them guarded by two vehicons, one green and one navy blue.

"I brought a friend," Shiloh said to them simply.

The two did not seem to care. Like statues, they stood unobtrusively and watched them reach the doors. The smaller miner vehicon stepped past them and threw open one of the doors, letting the music bowl over him and his guest. Starscream peeked past him to glimpse dark couches of metal, chairs, and tables, as well as a mass of vehicons milling about. Energon decorations with fake colouring glowed in the shaded setting, but the stage was bright with lights, the shining centerpiece of the entire room.

It turned out that the music was nothing being played off a device. Starscream widened his eyes, awed to see the sounds were emanating from the two vehicons standing on the stage. A jet vehicon coloured black and silver held a microphone and despite lacking a mouth, had his face close to it to release his clear voice into the room. A miner vehicon of a forest green shade and white eyes stood at half his height, pulling a bow across a Cybertronian instrument. It resembled a violin, but was quite complicated. The vehicons' small two fingers danced over the instrument's buttons and strings while the bow ascended and dropped.

It was a band composed of two, well in-sync and with the sounds of the single instrument accounting for many. As Starscream gazed ahead, Shiloh reached for his wrist and pulled him through a crowd. Starscream then glanced left-to-right, seeing some heads turn at his appearance. The sea of coloured vehicons regarded him in the dark, but no one questioned him being there. Starscream only kept up with Shiloh as he scanned the collection of vehicons seated and standing.

"There he is," Shiloh sighed. Starscream glanced ahead, but it was hard to tell who he had signaled out.

"Who?"

"The regular purple one with the cloth bracelet."

Indeed, there was a regular automobile vehicon. He was as plain as any other vehicon of the War, but a maroon cloth of Earth cotton was tied around his left hand. The vehicon, Steve, was watching the stage among a group of others on a couch. He was half hidden in the shadows, body glowing from a large energon carving that sat on the table in front of where he was seated.

They strode toward the cluster of vehicons, stepping through a red light. It was here where there was a rush of silver movement, and a figure hopped out in front of them.

"Shiloh!" A voice rang out in urgency, then changed to a commanding tone. "What do you thinking you are doing?"

They skidded to a halt at the silver jet vehicon now barring their path, who glimmered reddish-pink in the light. His black face and red eyes, however, remained the same. His hands settled on his hips, a posture of seriousness forming as he glared over his jeweled necklace at them.

Starscream widened his eyes, but Carnation was not focusing on him. His head was dipped to the half-sized vehicon at his side.

"Moonwing can't be here," he shot out, voice quiet but oozing with accusation. "Why did you bring him when you _know_ what happens here? He has to leave. _Immediately_."


	10. Chapter 9: Steve

At Carnation's command, Starscream inquired, "What? Why?"

Shiloh muttered, "What are you talking about? We don't ever do anything."

"I know that _we_ don't, but you know that Decepticons take over this space whenever they please," Carnation said, wringing his hands.

"You made it sound like a common occurrence." Shiloh looked back to Starscream. "But they don't even disrupt us. It's safe here."

"For us, perhaps," Carnation countered. "But they might be suspicious of an unfamiliar face. If they barge in here, as they _do_ at times-"

"You don't trust the guards we got now?"

"No," Carnation replied. "Decepticons will be as violent as they want to be in a pinch."

"I would protect him," Shiloh said. "Help him get out at the first sign of trouble. A warp around the corner…"

"I know you enjoy living a dangerous lifestyle, but you can't drag others into it. He can't take the risks you can. And what about his life signal? Don't you think Optimus will be upset when his signal suddenly vanishes?"

"It was only for a bit," Shiloh countered. "We were just going to get Steve and go. Show Moon' the place quickly. His phone's at my place, so it shouldn't be suspicious."

Starscream frowned. Perhaps the Autobots really were always noting his life signal's location, not just searching it up when they couldn't find him. In that case, it would look like he was either killed or doing crime right now.

He couldn't imagine that there was someone intently watching a screen for every minute. Nevertheless, Carnation was right that he shouldn't worry Optimus.

"Then we better hurry," Starscream decided. "In case we haven't yet been noticed."

He could apologize to Carnation later. Talking was only wasting their time.

They moved forward, but Carnation trailed them to ask, "I presume you are going to tell Steve."

"And?" Shiloh said, but not aggressively. "He won't tell anyone for the sake of…"

They were coming close now. The silver vehicon backed off as Starscream and Shiloh crept up to the group of sitting vehicons. Circumnavigating the couch, they singled out Steve from the back. Starscream stepped away as Shiloh approached the vehicon with the cloth bracelet. Putting his head over Steve's shoulder, he whispered something to him. The other vehicons looked over, but seemed not to hear anything or mind.

Steve stood and went around the couch, joining Shiloh and looking over to Starscream. He did not look excited, however, but still unsure.

"What do you mean?" Steve was heard. "He knows something?"

"Just come back with me." Shiloh walked ahead, directing the pair. "I obviously can't tell you here."

Starscream kept his mouth sealed and followed. He waved back at Carnation with a squeeze of guilt, but he soon departed as he had wanted anyway. In the halls, Shiloh teleported them back to his apartment with their new vehicon cohort.

Once the portal had closed, Shiloh peered around his home and found nothing amiss. He couldn't tell that Arcee had teleported through the locked door, placing video cameras within. Everything had been carefully placed in the same position they had left them.

Shiloh looked to Starscream. "Go ahead."

"He said Starscream was alive," Steve rushed. "But, that's impossible, isn't it? What do you know?"

"The news story was fabricated," Starscream started, already seeing this vehicon was growing excited in his hope. "Starscream didn't get impaled. He never died."

"How do you know that?" he gasped.

"It was a story made up by the High Council, Optimus, and others. The truth is Starscream tried to become powerful, and he forcefully absorbed an energy into his body. When they defeated him, he was rendered comatose."

"What?" Steve jumped. "Where are they keeping him?"

Starscream wasn't sure how this vehicon would react to the final statement, seeing as he was grasping onto his words with trusting tension. There was a pleasant feeling of amusement to be kindling Steve's passion.

"They aren't exactly keeping him anywhere," Starscream told him. "They woke him, but he's forgotten his memories."

The vehicon jolted, remembering something. "Wait, that injured student… Optimus's…"

"Me," Starscream murmured. "I am Moonwing; I am Starscream."

It would have been interesting to see what emotions would have lit up on his face. The reaction was limited to the vehicon's body, which jumped then bounced on each foot. The vehicon's hands slapped against his own face and clawed down it.

"You're serious? No, I-I- seriously?"

"This is not a joke."

Starscream expected the vehicon to come closer, but Steve still kept his excitement at a distance. He retracted one hand from his face though, turning up the palm.

"Ar-are you okay?" Steve murmured. "Oh Primus, you're not dead…"

"I'm fine," Starscream said. "But, why does it matter to you?"

"What do you mean?" Steve gasped. "Do you really think _no one_ cared about you?"

"You're the only vehicon this excited," Starscream replied. Even Carnation hadn't been too emotional to learn he was alive.

"B-but, how can I not be?" Steve whispered. "Am I the only one with optics? The only one who saw how you were treated and felt _something_?"

Starscream remembered his nightmares and thoughts. There was a touch of warmth that someone too, thought these events were awful.

Steve continued, "I saw you live for stellar cycles. Oh, they said you were selfish and terrible, but I never agreed. I researched you, going through the records, and stayed near you whenever I could. You didn't know me but…" He lifted his head. "I learned all about you. The elite flier who lived a strict military lifestyle. Status was everything to you. You were used to praise and being esteemed, so of course you were egotistic. You were the most powerful Air Commander- your job was to look ahead and lead."

Starscream stared in shocked silence. His words brought upon gossamer memories, but he still focused on the words of the present.

"So when you lost the other Seekers… You didn't notice it truly at first, but then you started to feel vulnerable. You weren't used to standing by yourself because Seekers aren't trained like that. You tried to manage on your own through cowardice and plotting. And of course, you were so vocal because you weren't used to the absence. You talk to yourself like you are explaining something to someone. I've heard you."

Starscream dipped his head and moved closer, but the vehicon moved back without knowing that he had.

"I've been on the warship for a while," Steve said. "Surviving, by luck… and seeing how scared you grew over the stellar cycles. You used to stand up to Megatron, and it hurt me to see you break. He could intimidate you, hit you… injure you. When you ran away, I was relieved and worried because of that. Then you came back and were safe… in a way."

Why had this vehicon prepared such an in-depth analysis about him? Starscream himself would have never found his past something to empathize with. His past self wouldn't have even made these self-discoveries, so how had a random vehicon among the war's thousands done it?

"But…" Steve sighed. "You don't remember any of this, do you? But… maybe- you do? How did you know you were him?"

"Because the memories _are_ returning," Starscream murmured. "The High Council knows it too, and they admitted it to me. One day they will give me a private Trial."

Steve perked. "I am so glad that your memories are returning!"

"You are?"

"Of course," Steve sighed. "I-if they didn't, it would be like you were dead."

Starscream shuffled. He supposed it would have been like that.

 _Probably what everyone would have preferred anyway. That I was just Moonwing. Only Steve would really care. Shiloh and Carnation, like other vehicons, were just fine living their lives knowing that Starscream was dead…_

But Steve had grieved for him and hadn't forgotten.

 _And Slipstream came back for me. She said something about Seekers being strongest together… So there are those who care about who I really am._

Steve also shuffled, but in worried discomfort. "I've said so much… I'm sorry if I've bothered you."

It seemed as though he had wanted to say a name, but didn't know what to say.

"No, you haven't," Starscream mumbled and looked back to him. "It's fine… and don't think of using any titles to me..."

 _He wants to say it to feel that I am alive_.

"Just call me by my name. But in public, it will have to be Moonwing. You have to keep this secret for me. I need a clean reputation to keep living in this world."

"Of course…! I understand, St-Starscream."

The joyous warmth in him made it feel as though the blood in his body was glowing. Starscream smiled and breathed, "You care about me more than anyone, and you're but a stranger to me. As I am a stranger to you. How did it start, Steve? Why did you focus on me?"

He expected another explanation, but then Steve paused.

"I don't know," he mumbled, swaying slightly. "I just always did."

Shiloh finally spoke. "So you really don't have a reason?"

Steve shrugged slightly. "Ever since I was made, put in the _Nemesis_ … I've known Starscream. I don't know when it happened. I don't have a reason for liking Starscream just like there's no reason to like other things. Favourite colours, songs… I can't explain it."

"I thought there was a story," Shiloh admitted.

Starscream asked, "There was nothing in particular I did?"

Steve shook his head. "I don't know why."

Somehow, it was extremely comforting. Someone cared for him for the sake of it. Steve moved as though embarrassed, so Starscream slid closer to comfort him. He couldn't touch the vehicon however, since he nervously moved back again, up to a wall.

"Why do you keep moving?" Starscream murmured.

Surprised, Steve stammered, "Oh, er…"

"Because I've killed vehicons before?"

"You… probably don't want to me around you."

Starscream said, "I'm different now, Steve. I don't think I'm superior to you or anyone."

Steve looked from Starscream to the other vehicon at his side.

"How did you come to feel that way?" Steve asked. "Even Autobots don't care about vehicons."

"For a while, my mind had the chance to be open since I couldn't remember old prejudices."

Starscream finally arrived at Steve's side, able to put a hand on his shoulder at last. A chill flowed through the vehicon.

"Why don't we be friends, Steve? With the War over and times changed, we have so much time to live and do as we please."

There was not a scratch of fear that he would fail the Trial. There was only a bright future in his spark with more than enough room for the devoted vehicon.

The touch had already exceeded Steve's expectations. Now, he was so stunned that he froze.

"I think you broke him," Shiloh commented.

Starscream breathed out a laugh. Steve stirred, returning to reality and fidgeting, unsure of what to do.

"You can give me your number," Starscream decided. "I always go out and do something every day, so just tell me what you like to do."

Steve gasped, "But you can't be serious, that you _want_ to…"

The miner vehicon shrugged. "He hangs out with vehicons all the time. Really."

Starscream was flushed with tranquility. He wondered why his past life had never been filled with discovery of new friends, when it so obviously brought upon this nice emotion.

"My body is physically damaged," Starscream said. "Running is difficult while transforming is still impossible. If you ever want to-"

"I would gladly help you!" Steve exclaimed, then halted himself and spoke shyly. "I want you to get better, so if you want me to support you… I'm not busy. My hours are short where I work."

"Right," Shiloh encouraged him. "I'm busy with clubs and construction. You could take him out more than I can."

Starscream went and swiped his phone with a smirk. Steve would surely cave now. After a few precise taps, he passed the cell to Steve. "Go on then."

With trembling hands, Steve hesitantly took it from him. He still couldn't believe that this was what Starscream wanted.

"I'm sure there are many others who could help you train," Steve argued. "Besides me…"

"That may be, but I want you to do it. After all you said."

Steve quivered and put in his number. Handing it back to Starscream, he insisted again, "But I _am_ only a vehicon…"

"There's no 'only'. Don't be absurd."

Thanks to the cameras in the room, the vehicons weren't the only ones to hear these moving words.

"How about we meet up tomorrow?" Starscream offered. "I have to attend that Newspark school, but not tomorrow. I have the time."

"Al-alright. I have t-time too…" Steve stuttered.

Shiloh said, "I guess we better get you home, 'Scream. Aren't you tired?"

Starscream was surprised by the switch to the nickname, but was pleased by it. He loved how Shiloh had so readily spread his usual informality with him, despite knowing who he was.

"Are you often tired?" Steve asked.

"Yes," Starscream exhaled. "I have to recharge daily, but not as much as before."

"You've never been up this late though," Shiloh pointed out. "You might be overtired."

"Mm, then…"

"I'll walk you home," Shiloh said.

"Thank you."

Starscream glanced at Steve, who was still so close to him. "I heard you live in Altihex. I suppose you must teleport all that way?"

Steve confessed with guilt, "I only want to use my portal gun for the club… I ought to pay at the station like anyone else."

Shiloh blew out a laugh. "In that case, be a legal citizen and come with us. The station's by his place."

They departed his apartment and entered the night of the surface world. It was true, that Starscream had never stayed up so late since his reformatting. The cold was worse now, and it bit him despite not seeming to bother the vehicons. It was more bearable as they kept walking, moving together in silence below the lights. Starscream was set in the middle, but Steve kept far enough away that he wouldn't accidentally brush against him.

When Starscream stared up at the speckled sky, he remembered the freedom he had been given. Once, he had been forbidden to go out at these hours. Now, he couldn't believe he had been given this. Even if he assumed that Arcee followed him on his night trips, he was amazed that he could enjoy the night undisturbed.

A longing bubbled up, and he sighed, "I can't wait to fly again."

"Do you remember what it was like?" Steve whispered.

"Yes," Starscream breathed. "I feel it in my frame. I can imagine the wind over my wings, the clouds below…"

"Sounds frightening," Shiloh commented. "A long way to fall."

"I wouldn't fall," Starscream said. His chest swelled at the certainty he felt.

"The records wrote that he was the most skilled," Steve spoke as though he was wearing a proud smile. "The most agile Seeker in the Air Command's history, although others would say that they were."

"Like who, Sky Commander Jetfire?" Shiloh threw in.

Starscream halted for a moment, forcing the vehicons to have to fall back.

"What's wrong?" Steve fretted.

"Nothing," Starscream answered, padding forward. "But after what you said and Jetfire… I remembered that it was true. Jetfire, I knew him well. He was also skilled."

He looked up again.

"I don't remember much more... but I think he was my friend, long ago. I don't want to think so much about it though. I might learn about the unpleasantries that occurred between us, which they undoubtedly did."

That night, no bot emerged from the darkness and threatened the trio. Starscream was eventually safely delivered to the Square, where the Elite Guards were eyeing up the vehicons with suspicion. It was incredibly late now, and Starscream finally felt his fatigue like a slap to the face.

He stopped and turned to them. Starscream concluded, "Thank you for tonight, Shiloh." Then to Steve, he said, "It was a pleasure to finally meet you. I am so glad that we could."

 _That you lived long enough for this._

"Rest well," Steve murmured with the utmost sincerity.

He waved to the vehicons before entering the heated lobby of the building. The warmth drove away the lingering cold, filling him with relief that the day was over. Much had been done, and it had been good. Now, he could lie down with that knowledge.

Starscream yanked himself up the stairs, then dragged himself to Optimus's door. It was unlocked. When Starscream entered, the room was filled with the comforting sounds of the quiet television. All was normal, as though there had been no disturbance in the peace before.

 _It seems that no one noticed my brief disappearance._

"Sorry I was out so late," Starscream breathed out to Optimus on his beeline to the berth. He unclamped his phone then flopped back onto the berth, drawing the chain blanket over himself. "I found this new friend…"

He was so tired and cozy in the heat that he could not continue. He drifted off while Optimus's blue eyes calmly watched him.

* * *

They knew that Starscream had walked into an illegal zone, but his behaviour upon his return revealed nothing amiss. Starscream rested, for now, but worry simmered in Optimus. For long, Starscream had been close to former Decepticons, and now it was only growing worse. With less restrictions, Starscream was straying and doing as he pleased.

Starscream had yet to display a single violent reaction, but the concern had grown due to Starscream's twitches and tosses every night. When he lacked control, the memories were randomly creeping back. Optimus had felt the burning heat of Starscream's body, especially of his head, when he groaned in his sleep from the headaches. Starscream was wearing away the energy in his mind, and there was no knowing what Starscream was remembering either. After what Starscream had done tonight though, he surely needed to be scanned again to see how far he had progressed.

Optimus wanted to have Starscream scanned more often, lest he go too far before they realized it. They had to pay close attention to Starscream's words and actions to judge how his memories affected his behaviour, but this too was no guarantee of being accurate. Starscream could perhaps be swayed overnight by one particular memory, of something Team Prime had done to him on Earth. One memory might be all it took. Then, Starscream might hide this knowledge if he regained his deceptive skills. It seemed that Starscream was honest in the present time, but they could be being tricked, since Starscream was aware of how they spied on him.

They had seen Starscream toss away his phone to whisper to Shiloh, in case he could be heard through it. Sometimes Starscream too, peeked back to see if he could spot a spy. He still seemed to be as kind and sensitive as Moonwing, but Optimus hoped that none of this was an act to complete a larger plan. He wanted Starscream to have this chance, but Starscream's actions made Optimus doubt him more than ever before.

Had he been too hopeful to begin this endeavor, as Ratchet had suggested? Perhaps, Starscream was really was unchangeable. Optimus wondered if Megatron's change had influenced him too much, giving him unreasonable hope for Starscream, who had always been untrustworthy to all factions. If Optimus had made a mistake, then someone could end up being injured or killed because of Optimus's choice to rehabilitate Starscream.

But Starscream, in his months as Moonwing, had given him so much hope. More than the alternative, Optimus wanted to believe that Starscream would truly strive for the goal of being a good Seeker officer.

Then, it could be as he had told Ratchet. Starscream could happily become a Seeker and use his skills to help the Autobot citizens of the planet.

* * *

Starscream slept in, but when he woke, he found Optimus ushering him up. Handed some energon, Starscream drank quickly and learned that Ratchet was waiting to perform a scan on his mind. Without touching anything else, Starscream willingly hurried and followed. But, it was with the stiff knowledge that he hadn't gotten away with what he had done.

 _They know what I did last night, but aren't saying it_ , Starscream thought. _They likely don't want me to know how closely they are tracking me. But it is obvious. My every move is being noted._

Then, Starscream thought that he should try to ease them. He wouldn't return to the vehicon club ever again or go into any dead zones.

Starscream kept obediently silent, sitting on a medical berth and letting Ratchet do the scan. Peeking past them at the screens they then scrutinized, Starscream couldn't tell what changes had occurred. He still saw an obscene amount of light blue in his brain, and from their murmured discussion, it seemed that there had been no substantial change. Though, it was logical. The amount of memories there were to recover was great, and the few he had recalled, he had shied away from.

He couldn't tell what Optimus was thinking or feeling on the way back. Starscream's thoughts wandered instead to the vehicon, Steve. As soon as he could, Starscream swept up his phone and connected with him, arranging to meet that day. Optimus didn't pressure Starscream and ask him where he went each time, but Starscream sensed that he was doing it to not be too controlling.

Even if Optimus knew the answer anyway, Starscream wanted to be kind and tell him his plans. Before he left, Starscream explained to Optimus that he would be exercising with a new vehicon he had met last night. Then, he hurried downstairs to find Steve in the square. Unsure and hiding out beside a pole, Steve had been waiting for him.

From his messages and current behaviour, it was evident that Steve felt unworthy of Starscream's attention. Determined to change that, Starscream waved Steve away from the shadows to come meet him halfway.

"I didn't think you would ever use my contact," Steve confessed, stopping out of his reach.

"Perhaps I was not a sincere character before, but my words are honest now."

"Then you want to run?"

"I do," Starscream replied. "But, have patience. I will be terribly slow."

Steve stammered with awkward grace, "I-I would never run out of patience… for you."

They soon pelted off, Starscream at first in front just because Steve did not feel permitted to be at his side. Starscream assured the vehicon, "Aren't we running together? I can't tell if I can't see you."

Steve silently joined him, and they found a slower pace that suited Starscream. It didn't take long after that for Steve to prove himself as a positive addition. From the first day, Steve was incredibly encouraging. Whenever Starscream seemed about to fall back into a walk, Steve edged him on. And he wasn't just saying empty words of cheer; the vehicon really believed that Starscream was capable of accomplishing anything.

 _He's seen me go through much worse_ , Starscream thought. _I've been through war. I served Megatron. The pain I remembered is only a faction of it all, so surely, running is nothing in comparison._

There was also an urge to impress Steve, to make him proud of what he was becoming. The more they ran, the more Starscream felt that he improved due to Steve's encouragement that kept him from giving up. Steve also took it upon himself to keep inviting Starscream on more runs, asking him if he was recovered enough for more training. All this made it possible for Starscream to improve his physical condition so quickly.

Starscream started replacing his walks with Bulkhead with the runs with Steve, the more strenuous and least awkward activity. There was no escaping the habit, especially when Starscream revealed to Steve why he wanted to be fit.

"I'm going to enter the police academy in Fort Scyk, then choose to train as a Seeker."

"I want to go with you."

Starscream stared back at him, confused. Steve couldn't fly. Embarrassed, Steve clarified, "I mean for the years before splitting off into specializations…"

"You want to be a cop?" Starscream asked. It would be illogical for Steve to join, then leave before completing anything.

"I do want to be with you, but for a while I've also been looking for something else to do with my life. I think I could do this too, learning to fight and stopping criminals."

 _Everyone there would scoff at the idea of a vehicon cop. Him coming with me is a good idea. I can support him as well._

So they continued their routine of running, gradually strengthening Starscream's body and increasing his endurance. There was benefit for Steve too, who had never done much exercise before. Yet it didn't particularly matter what Starscream wanted to do. If he had wanted to paint instead, to practice medicine, then Steve would have been just as enthusiastic about supporting him. He was just content and mellow to be at the side of the former Decepticon second-in-command.

Shiloh was also great, even joining them if they jogged in the night hours. However, there was something unique about Steve. Starscream cared for them both, but the adoration Steve had was for _all_ of Starscream, never dismissive of even the worst of him. This vehicon had swiftly become something special, and Starscream couldn't imagine being without him.

He had felt like this once with the Corvicon, Onyx, when they had used to see each other often. However, the connection with Steve had an extra dimension that increased Starscream's attachment to him. The more he cared for the vehicon though, the deeper was his worry. It had been proven that anyone could so easily be killed in this new world. Decepticons lingered, refusing to accept the new society. There were beatings, shootings- Steve could disappear as suddenly as two of his friends had.

And as Shiloh had said, vehicons were targets. Perceived as weak, they could be cornered on the streets if they walked alone. Starscream didn't want to think it, but since Steve couldn't fight, he would be easy to overtake. It was likely the same for most vehicons. Even their club was sometimes overtaken by Decepticons, and from what Carnation had said, Starscream understood that the vehicons of Cybertron were being bullied into submission.

 _I don't want anything to happen to Steve_ , Starscream fretted, whenever he was with Steve or alone. _He's vulnerable, and… I don't know what I would do if he died. He has always cared so much for me, like no one else does. Maybe if I keep him close, he will be safer. Arcee might jump out like she does and protect us if someone tries to attack… But, maybe it isn't safe for anyone to be too close to me. Steve might be in more danger._

Starscream crumpled, conflicted. Steve was so happy to have him back, alive, so he wanted to see him as often as possible. Starscream felt sure that no matter what he remembered, he would never want to hurt him or any vehicon ever again. Nevertheless, there was a chance that someone else would hurt Steve, to take revenge on him over something Starscream had done in the past.

 _Please just let nothing bad happen to him._

And Starscream had thought it, due to his belief that there was nothing he could truly do to protect the vehicon.


	11. Chapter 10: Streets of Blood

The days passed so quickly when his hours were filled end-to-end. The constant exercise left Starscream exhausted to the core, increasing his need for sleep again, but it allowed the time to pass even faster. Before he knew it, he had run to the end of the school's year.

Carnation approached Starscream with an offer days before graduation came. However, when he did so, it was not a teacher addressing his student. For long had Starscream been seeing Carnation in his office or at his home, thus Carnation had stopped seeming like something of the school. And though Carnation did teach him, he had become less of a teacher to him.

The understanding had been reached without it being voiced. Among the true students, those bright-eyed Newsparks, Starscream stood alone as a friend.

"I have an job offer for you," he told Starscream. "Until you're strong enough, there's an opening in the shop where I buy carved energon. You would be at the front, selling their products. I spoke to the manager. He's an old veteran named Kup. He's kind and enjoys telling stories, and he'll hold that spot for you if you want it."

"Really?" He widened his eyes. "That is perfect! Would that be the one in Iacon?"

"It is."

"Definitely ideal. Thank you. I'll do it."

Carnation said, "I thought you would enjoy it. The hours and location are good, and you will be able to converse with a variety of customers. The place is peaceful. You can read if you wish, when it's quiet."

Starscream felt a pinch of guilt. He had abandoned the book clubs long ago in pursuit of the skills of a Seeker. He hadn't done much more than speak to those he had left behind.

He dipped his head. He didn't want to throw in too many activities and distract himself. He had to stick to this path, even if it meant dropping the things he had started.

"I'm glad," he admitted.

It took far too long for the day of graduation to come. Yet on that day, Starscream realized that it marked the first year since his reawakening as Moonwing. That ceremony was nothing extravagant for the others, as it was direct and contained no emotional speeches like Earth graduations. However for him, it was the turning point of his life.

Before him, there was a world he could slip into thanks to the mercy of the Autobots. Though just over a year ago, Starscream had been sinister, cruel, and dangerous. It was such a short time ago in perspective. From a Cybertronian historical viewpoint, this life had lasted as long as the blink of an eye.

 _I had fought with Optimus not long ago._ The battle was vague in his mind, but he remembered merging with something, blue had glowed on him like the blue on Ratchet's monitors. Starscream even remembered soaring without transforming. _I was so powerful, ruthless. I would have been killing others now if he hadn't stopped me. But here I am now, and I am so grateful for it._

He faced the future with excitement.

 _I am going to be everything that I should have been!_

Starscream had glanced back at the school, but it did not stop him from tearing away from it. He warped back to Iacon, and passed through the streets to the energon-carving shop. He knew the way well as it was near Shiloh's home. The day was pounding his body with heat, but Starscream pushed through it all. He dashed to his meeting, pelting through the area Slipstream had appeared before. Then, stumbling up to the shop's door, Starscream tried to collect himself before entering.

The foretold, green Cybertronian was stationed at the register behind the counter. His face crinkled at the sight of the panting flier now stepping into the shop. He had known for days that he would come, but he hadn't expected such zeal.

"I take it that you're the one who came for the job?" A grin cracked across his face.

"Yes," Starscream huffed, trying to cool down and relax. He straightened himself and padded through the empty store to the front.

"You certainly seem enthusiastic enough," Kup chuckled. "Alright then, I've seen your profile. I would say you're fit for hire."

Starscream lifted his wings high.

"I'll start you off as early as tomorrow if you just fill out some information for me."

Starscream had already gotten a bank account established for himself, but it was empty, having waited long for this opportunity.

"Of course," he responded, but didn't know where to put himself.

The four-wheeler waved around the counter. "Come back here, Moonwing. You'll be used to it soon."

Starscream nearly trotted around the counter, barely constraining himself enough to walk normally through the gate door. The manager opened a digital form on a small side screen, then shifted out of his way. Starscream hopped up to the form of questions and empty lines waiting to be filled.

"I heard you're a good student," Kup went on. "That vehicon said you're smart and very determined."

Instead of bubbling with pride, Starscream felt abashed in imagining the conversation they had had about him.

"He said you're friendly and get along well with others, which is good for this job. You'll be dealing with Cybertronians of all races, and tourists. How are you with Insecticons?"

"Insecticons?" he echoed. He had seen some, but knew none personally. He didn't yet remember any old feelings about them either.

"They are the most common customer. They're crazy about raw energon, especially when it's in shapes. Oh, you'll see for yourself how they come in waves..."

Starscream kept typing, but chuckled, "I'm sure I'll get along with them."

 _What would it be like, talking to one of them?_

"I heard about your physical condition as well," Kup continued. "If you're ever in any pain, feel free to contact me. I can get someone else to take over your shift. But this here's a quiet job, so I will be surprised if something happens to you."

"There won't be any problems," he assured him.

"You can't consume raw energon either," he pointed out. "Due to the damage in your body. That was especially good to hear, only since now there is someone I can trust one-hundred percent to be alone with these products."

"I would never have taken them anyway." Starscream terminated the form and turned back to the amicable bot.

"Of course." Kup nodded. "I'm sure Optimus has taught you well."

Starscream paused. There was no sense of dislike or caution from the old Autobot, so it did not seem that he knew who he was. Carnation likely wouldn't have told him either. Kup must surely think he was just a fresh Newspark, otherwise, Starscream didn't think he would be so inclined to hire him.

"Right," Starscream answered.

 _He must only know the false story in the news._

Starscream bounced off, skirting around the corners. His joy was refreshed when he remembered the news he would deliver to Optimus Prime. Though he would still keep his military goals to himself, to not worry them. He didn't know that they already knew his ambitions and already had concerns, so this moment was not soiled.

He was caught smiling when Kup called out, "Talk to you later then, Moonwing. It was a pleasure to finally meet you. Send my regards to 'Prime when you see him!"

"I will," Starscream vowed, bowing slightly to him.

Then, he leapt out the door and pranced along the way back home.

* * *

Starscream couldn't find Optimus when he came back, but he had left the door unlocked. Flopping into his usual spot, Starscream collected his small items and took the time to caress and examine each one. When he finally heard footsteps of the right weight, he organised his things and hopped up to his feet.

"I got a job today!" Starscream exclaimed.

Optimus had not even come fully inside. He paused in the doorway, surprised since he had had no knowledge that this would soon happen.

 _He is proud, isn't he?_ His spark pattered as he watched Optimus.

"It's in Iacon, for selling energon," Starscream rushed. "It's owned by someone named Kup. He sends his regards to you."

Optimus regarded how Starscream shivered in excitement below him. The shine in his eyes spoke of genuine pride in what he had done. Optimus could not find it possible to doubt him.

Wanting to encourage him, Optimus smiled lightly. "I am glad to see that you have taken on this responsibility."

The black and silver flier perked and for a moment, he was forgotten to be Starscream. Beaming with unfiltered joy, he was seen as Moonwing for a moment, someone compassionate and far from a bloody past. It was hard to imagine it was the same bot, that Stracream could be so innocently delighted.

Yet when he spoke, the voice a reminder, thickly Starscream though softer.

"I am so excited to start!" He seemed oblivious to his wings twitching in a happy flutter. "I should be able to go tomorrow, and I can run there…"

The glow of Optimus's gaze overwhelmed Starscream with elation. Maybe he would share his pride and relief with the other members of Team Prime. With this, Starscream might have finally given Bulkhead a reason to stop looking so worried when he touched his pet, or for Ultra Magnus to stop staring at him with distaste when they passed in the hall…

At least, obtaining this job certainly felt like the first step towards these things.

* * *

When Starscream started his first day of work, he was given a chain to clip around his neck. A tag hung from it with Cybertronian script spelling out the name of the shop and his false name. And whether Starscream was behind the counter or roaming the few aisles, he held himself with confidence to be visibly marked as an employee.

Steve was the first one to visit him at his new job. From behind the register, Starscream watched the vehicon push through the door. A chime went off as he stepped in, triggering Starscream to shoot up and direct a bright gaze at him. It was undoubtedly him, with that cloth tied around his wrist and softness in his movements after spotting Starscream.

"Steve!"

Insecticons tossed their heads at Starscream and the vehicon coming up to the counter, then they turned back to the selection. Spirits high since beginning the shift, Starscream could not contain himself. The gate banged open as Starscream barged through, before he skidded up to Steve and yanked him into a hug.

Immediately, Starscream stunned himself, startled since this action felt so unnatural to him. It was something his body had never gotten used to in his past life. Steve, on the other hand, was too shocked to do anything but freeze.

Starscream released him soon after. "You are the first to visit me."

He had hardly even worked for an hour's time.

"I-I…" Steve stumbled back and held his own arms. "I wanted to see what you looked like, how you were liking it…"

Steve only stayed for a few minutes as to not impede his work. Though later that day, more friends than Starscream had expected showed up. He had posted about what he had done, and now even vehicons he didn't know appeared out of curiosity.

The day seemed so bright, leaving Starscream swaying and chatty at the register. He engaged with Insecticons, taking names even if they usually preferred to be quiet. As Starscream slid bags and containers over scanners, Kup was in the store stacking the shelves, contently listening to his new employee.

Tapping the buttons, Starscream calmly worked with the idle gurgling of the next Insecticon in line. The behemoth towered over him, his hips level with the curved crest of Starscream's head. The Insecticon was tranquil, with each long claw laid out over the counter. Already desensitized to them, Starscream was not disconcerted by his proximity.

When the Insecticon went to pay, some golden coins slipped through his gargantuan hands. This had already seemed so commonplace that Starscream had gotten used to dashing through the gate to collect them. Insecticons would paw and fumble to pick up the coins, claws struggling to grip them, but Starscream could relieve them of trouble.

"Don't worry, I will take care of it!" he kept saying.

Another coworker had been helping Kup organize the products, but he had wandered close to Starscream. The short two-wheeler caught a coin rolling away, then passed it to him.

"Moon', you're already the nicest bot who works here. What did Optimus teach you?"

Starscream hurried back to the counter and threw the money into the register. Both pleased and rejecting of the compliment, he smiled. He couldn't possibly be what his coworker thought he was, yet he was glad he came across as kind.

"Optimus cares about everyone, so that's just what I try to do," he replied.

The two-wheeler had opened shop today, so he soon departed. For hours, Starscream worked alone with Kup until sunset. By then, less and less customers came inside. Starscream had just seen off an Insecticon when a police siren blared nearby. Rising up, Starscream watched a police officer tear down the street in front of the shop. Bored, Starscream then looked down and checked on his messages. Less than a minute later, however, he heard another siren joining the wailing not far from here.

"I suppose there's someone speeding." Kup rummaged through a large metal box on the floor. "Newsparks- they have a hard time understanding why laws are laws."

When more sirens joined, the cacophony got them both looking out the glass window, although they clearly would not be able to see what was happening from here. Once he counted ten sirens, Kup stood and placed his hand onto his chin.

"Something more serious then. A Decepticon."

Starscream heard the sirens fading into the distance, but never disappearing. Though quieter, he could tell that more police officers had joined. Furthermore, he found that there were different tones to the sirens.

"Are those Rescue Bots?" Starscream asked.

"I believe you are right." Kup walked up to the window. "That may be the fire department and the paramedics."

"What do you think has happened?"

"I would say there's been an explosion. Maybe a terrorist."

Screeching, a heavily armoured vehicle tore past the shop, leaving grit in its wake.

"Why, that was a Tarn Wrecker!" Kup exclaimed.

It was not the only one who would pass. Another soldier of the ground military came by, but then Kup tilted his head up with Starscream as screeches of jets passed over them. They were loud and unusually low, passing just over the building tops.

"The Air Command?" Kup now glanced to Starscream. "Something serious has happened. Check the news."

Kup headed to Starscream as he opened his phone. There was already a pop-up taking over the screen, warning all citizens away from a particular area in Iacon. When Starscream tapped this alert, a live news video overtook the screen with a shocked reporter. Caught in the middle of speech however, the first thing he and Kup heard was, "-eave the area until further notice…"

Fortunately, there was text looping at the bottom to help them catch up.

 _Ground collapsed in North West Iacon neighbourhood. Predacon attack in same area leaves dozens maimed. No deaths confirmed._

"I wonder how those are connected?" Kup pondered.

"Excuse me." Starscream shivered. "I want to check if my friends are alright."

It was outside of where anyone he knew lived, but it was situated between here and the Square. So many of his friends had come to Iacon today that fear settled in his frame. Starscream immediately sent messages under tense air as more Seekers and Wreckers passed by them. One-by-one, the responses returned, but not all. Perhaps they were busy, but it was easy to assume the worst.

"I wouldn't worry." Kup held his shoulder. "The army has flooded the place. There are no deaths and there certainly won't be now."

Starscream hardly heard him as he read that Shiloh and Steve were safe, nowhere near the incident.

"Though it was bound to happen, a Predacon turning on us," Kup began to ramble. "History is important, and political decisions should pay attention to it. Predacons shouldn't have kept their weapons, considering that those big claws and teeth used to tear our race apart. "

As Kup carried on, Starscream started to tune in to what he was saying.

"That's why Prima dubbed them so; these predators were the largest and last creatures to leave the Well, and they did not hesitate to consume the first things they saw. Our race was young, not knowing of transformation. There was no flying or driving away- only hiding. But then Prima challenged the strongest Predacon leader to a fight, and his strength rattled the Predacons. They were forbidden from hunting our race, but when Predacons went extinct, that was the end of it. But in this new age, the truce might have been forgotten…"

Starscream stared at him, wide-eyed. "So you also think the new generation will turn against us?"

He knew the story already, but Kup's foreboding ending spooked him.

Kup replied, "It was bound to happen sooner or later. Maybe Optimus will have to step up like Prima did, knocking them off their high tower."

Starscream flinched at the distant sounds of sirens that charged off to behold whatever carnage had occurred not far from here. Another tearing screech sounded as yet another Seeker sped across the sky.

All this had been caused by one Predacon? Had it taken advantage of those injured from the sink hole?

 _Could the blood have driven it mad?_

He wasn't sure, but something about Predacons made him boil up inside. The feeling he had now was worse when he remembered them on the news, protesting for the right to transform in all districts. He remembered hearing how they thought they were so mighty, an esteemed race.

 _This is what happens when they transform. Curse that wretched species..._

Starscream imagined this unnamed Predacon charging into the scene, transforming and snapping at the helpless, injured bots. Outraged, Starscream twitched and squeezed his phone. The brainless and cruel creature had taken advantage of the weak, to blindly feed like a scraplet. Starscream didn't think right then that he had once done about the same thing, killing and torturing many that couldn't defend themselves. This had a different feel to him, since it was so frustratingly primal.

 _Like Kup said, it's like the Age of Evolution._

From a dark corner of this mind, fangs snapped at him. Starscream jolted, recalling a blue and silver head with curved red horns and a black jaw. Moments later, another face appeared, its sharp beak clacking. He felt his body roll and twist, escaping their reach before he launched himself into a sprint. There was a terrible screeching when claws scraped across metal, signaling their pursuit…

By forcing his eyes wide, Starscream tried to focus on some energon products to dispel the memory. With spark already throbbing, he feared to know what had started that memory and ended it. Yet he couldn't get away fast enough to avoid two names from flickering in his mind.

 _Skylynx. Darksteel._

Starscream slouched, tight in relief that he had not been near today's attack. His friends too had been spared, but to imagine the fear and pain of the victims clutched him. That Predacon had torn into friends of other bots.

"Don't look so worried." Kup looked over his face. "The military will make them behave. They've probably already apprehended the Predacon. That'll be a warning to the others that this behaviour will not not tolerated. We'll just hang tight for now."

What else could he do? Starscream waited around with Kup, but the numbers of customers that came inside had vastly been cut. The sirens quieted over time, yet the street outside was still empty, revealing the tension that hung over Iacon. Light faded from the sky, causing everything to feel cold and ominous. It was as though the air had become tainted with blood, blowing it from the scene to as far as here.

Staring out the windows, Starscream felt drawn to stay indoors. Yet his shift had ended at early dark, and after dropping off his name tag, he shuffled to the door. Before Starscream pushed through it, Kup called, "The Predacon will be gone by now. Don't worry too much about all I said, Moon'."

Starscream nodded, but didn't feel convinced. That wasn't to say there weren't other Predacons who would do the same. As he entered the streets, trembling overtook him. It had come from somewhere deep within him: the memories of his body running to escape Predacons, and the memories of his mind filled by growls and screeches. Feeling ill in the gut, Starscream wrapped his arms around his abdomen and dragged himself home, which happened to be closer to the scene of violence.

When he turned onto a main street, he was slapped by the voices and lights. Starscream winced and narrowed his eyes, taking in the crowd blocked off by bars. Police officers held them all at a distance, and some were directing pedestrians to take an alternative route. Hardly anyone did however, staying to instead remain focused on what lay ahead on the street.

Starscream glided over, wiggling to the near front of the crowd. The street he usually walked on was scorched and bumpy from melted metal, and far off to the side was the beginning of a jagged hole where the ground had sagged inwards. White light beamed onto the scene, illuminating the smears of energon that had yet to be cleaned away completely. The area behind the barrier bustled with cleaning bots, but police officers mainly lined the hole, pointing at it and squinting.

With a glance up, Starscream saw dark shapes out of the reach of the lights. A few Seekers knelt on building tops, peering down with wings perked up like black ears against the moons. Peering back and more closely at the hole, Starscream noticed the backside of Optimus sticking of from behind a building. There was a blue winglet by his side, which Starscream suddenly identified to be Arcee's. He wondered what they were discussing, but then a massive shape moved around them. It was spiked and treaded on heavy feet, clenching clawed hands in irritation. Optimus and Arcee followed him just as Starscream shrank back.

It was a Predacon, but from the news and knowing it in his spark, the name came forth.

 _Predaking!_

Why did that name seem to freeze his spark? Starscream squeezed in, wondering what the Predacon leader was doing here. Was he arguing with them? What was bothering him? Then Starscream's face stiffened into a glare. Perhaps he was defending the situation, since he certainly did not look appalled at the splatter of energon around him.

 _He probably doesn't care._

Predaking turned and looked to the crowd staring back at him. His yellow eyes gazed over them until sharpening suddenly. A flier stood among them, fixing him with a fierce stare. Knowing who it was, Predaking scowled, mouth twitching to not bear his teeth. There seemed to be knowledge in that gaze. The one they called Moonwing knew something it seemed, making Predaking suspect that Starscream truly stood before him, merely hiding in false skin.

Predaking lowered his brows further, thinking, _Why else would he look at me with such contempt?_

Starscream had seen it when understanding coloured Predaking's features. He knew his true identity. So when Predaking shot him with a vicious look, he immediately thought, _He despises me for something I did._

Predaking seemed on the verge of stomping over. Starscream felt a large Autobot pushing his way to the front, so he took advantage of him to find cover. As Predaking kept his eyes locked on him, the crowd shifted, and suddenly Starscream had vanished.

 _He should have been terminated long ago_ , Predaking thought. _He is up to his old tricks._

Starscream was glad to escape the Predacon's attention. Shaken, he fled around the others and leapt back into the fresh air. He had been reminded of what Predacons looked like up close, at least, in bot form. That Predacon was already much bigger than him, and bigger than how he remembered Megatron. But the species was extremely compact, hiding an enormous, true size. Starscream had seen nothing yet.

Since Predaking had apparently been on Earth, Starscream should have known him. As he followed the directions of pointing police officers, memories were pushing back through.

Indeed, that bot-form was minuscule compared to its beast mode. _Its true form._ Everything was folded in on itself, draconic head swallowed up by the chest. But Starscream remembered himself pressed against a rock floor, cowering as the beast transformed for the first time into a regal bot. The savage monster was still in there however, waiting to be let out, and it was a predator like Kup had explained.

And Starscream remembered feeling like prey. There was Predaking in a memory above him, dropping from the sky and pinning him to the grass under a single paw. His maw parted over him, thick fangs like daggers coming closer, and the tendrils around his face outstretching.

Oh, how small he felt then. Held in a single hand with those jaws hovering over him. Jaws that could stretch far enough to bite off more than half of his body. _That_ was the true nature of the Predacon leader, surely. Predaking must have wanted to sink his fangs into him, but had not been permitted to during his time as a Decepticon.

Starscream proceeded slowly, quaking and feeling even more sick from his fear. He wanted to get home and rest, curled up in silence until Optimus returned and sat near him. A look to the left and right confirmed, however, that he was in unfamiliar territory. He assumed he could follow any of these smaller streets to make it back, but some looked as though they twisted off. Dragging himself to a wall, he leaned against it and sighed. His phone was drawn out, then he searched for a direct route to the Iacon Square.

After memorizing the way, he proceeded. He wanted to hurry back, but his queasy organs demanded that he go slower. Starscream kept seeing himself being chased, hunted, and the blood he had just seen clouded the memories. Groaning softly, he tottered through alleys.

"You alright there?"

Starscream paused and looked back. A large, automobile bipedal headed to him, then asked, "You drunk? Lost?"

The voice dripped with concern. Starscream stopped his moaning and shook his head at the stranger. "No, I'm… fine."

"You saw that scene, didn't you?" He came closer. He was as large as Bulkhead, and now Starscream was a bit cautious when he approached. It was night, and the police were a bit aways now. The bot could be trying to play nice to drop his guard.

Starscream felt that it was a common trick, nothing to fall for. Without responding, he leapt away to regain distance.

"Whoa, buddy," he purred.

 _No, this doesn't feel right. He is too focused on me_.

The strange bot frowned. There was a pause, then both of them broke into a run. Starscream ripped over scattered scrap and hurled himself onto the alley's scrap bin. The lid clacked when he shoved off it, as he jumped into the air and escaped the bot's grasp.

 _Fly_.

His wings shot out with only a slight sting. For the moment, he swelled with hope. Then, a pain in his T-cog pricked him with a blazing heat. A shock went through his organs, then his veins, and Starscream fell with a yip. The pieces of his body clicked back into place as he crashed into spilled scrap.

A piece of twisted metal was pointed to the sky, sinking deep into his right arm when he landed on it. Starscream gasped and dragged himself up to the wall. He hovered his hand indecisively over the shard sticking out from him, but it could barely be looked at as he felt how deeply it was lodged.

He turned his head, shocked and frightened. For his first time as Moonwing, he saw blood pouring out from himself. And it seemed like he was leaking too much.

 _How much before I die?_ His spark leapt erratically. It was irrational, but he suddenly feared that his new life was going to end just like this, before he had even redeemed himself.

The large bot slid into the scrap, scraping his legs over it to pin Starscream against the wall. Starscream's eyes caught the bot's arm beginning to transform into a weapon. Frantic, Starscream reacted upon survival instinct, the self-preserving techniques of past. His left hand lashed for his thick throat, only to jam blunt fingers against it. And his pain-stricken mind could not comprehend it at first. Nothing had happened; no blood splattered over them both, and not a single cut opened up on the aggressor.

The bot huffed an amused laugh at the slap. Alarmed, Starscream swiped at the pressing chest, again finding no mark drawn upon him. He wasn't stopped, but then it became clear as day. Agonized and terrified, Starscream remembered that he no longer had clawed fingers. Running out of chances, he threw out weak punches that only tinged off the bot's armour.

Tired of being amused, the stranger caught Starscream's uninjured wrist. "Quiet now," he growled. "Give me all you have."

He dropped his weight against Starscream and crushed him to the wall. Hardly able to move anything, he couldn't even turn his head to see the charged blaster. He only knew it was there from its humming and from the blue glow spotting his vision. There was a tug on his uninjured arm, then his phone was ripped away clamp and all. Pulse pounding, Starscream froze in compliance as he was robbed, feeling the energon from his arm pooling where he sat.

His vision spun, and resistance seemed ever the more futile.

The bot shifted back, tapping at the glass of Starscream's abdomen. "Open that. Give me your shanix."

The blaster was shoved up against his face, hot and blinding. Starscream shut his eyes and stammered, "I-I don't have any…"

"Liar."

"I-"

The fist slammed into his cockpit and shattered it. It hadn't hurt until the hand drove some shards into his delicate innards, scraping the outside wiring. Starscream writhed and forgot his silence. He yowled just as the bot peered into the space for stealable goods. Startled by the noise, he easily caught Starscream's throat in his broad hand, squeezing his voice box until he could only cluck. Seeing nothing within, the bot pushed off Starscream and fled. The weight vanished, and the thief had disappeared before others could come towards the sound of the yell.

Starscream fell sideways to the ground, gasping and stretching out his stiffened arm. His eyes slid half closed in the glare of his own spilled energon. Now he lay like the rest of the scrap strewn over the ground, helpless and discarded. His chest quivered as he stared at the blue more intense than he thought before, brighter than the lights of the vehicon club. There was an attempt to lift himself, but the shard in his arm had such a reach, locking his whole body with pain.

 _I was so weak. I couldn't do anything…_

He moaned softly and scrunched up his face. Heavy footsteps then rushed to his location, causing him to flinch. Starscream thought for a moment that the thief had returned, searching again for money that Starscream didn't have. There was nothing he could do. He was weak, and alone. No one had followed him; there had not been and would not be anyone coming to protect him.

Flat, blue feet stopped by his face. Soon after, another pair of feet appeared beside it. It wasn't the same thief, but there was no telling who had come now. Starscream could only see black when he shifted his eyes.

"Oi, looks like he's been robbed."

"Look at his arm, I think he's been stabbed! He needs medical attention before anything else. I will call for paramedics."

"Do it. I'll get some others and scout the area for the perpetrator."

There was a sound of transformation, then one pair of feet disappeared. Starscream closed his eyes, but then felt a hand gently placing itself on his shoulder. It comforted him while the drone of the police officer's voice carried on, growing harder to understand. He tried to piece some of it together, but the meaning was unclear.

 _Medics, no medics. Too many injured in the Predacon attack. A call-in doctor…_

He hovered on the line between consciousness and unconsciousness. The officer stayed with him until the telltale sound of a portal opening erupted beside them. Starscream stayed limp, waiting to be lifted and brought to safety. Home was far and unreachable now, so all he could think of was to be taken somewhere warm and clean.

 _Please._

A new pair of feet entered as well as a new voice. Then, the sight of Starscream stretched out in a puddle of energon prompted a shocked whisper from him.

"Oh my..."

Starscream did not stir, but his mind tossed over. That voice and its ring was so familiar.

The polished, red doctor commanded them, "Help me get him inside."

He was too weak to mewl at the pain of being jostled. Those hands tried to be as gentle as possible, but the wound shook and drove the pain throughout his body. They managed to slide Starscream onto a stretcher, before towing him backwards. His tired mind was thankful to be peeled from the alley ground and away from the sharp grit. Relaxing, he lay on his side and felt them pass him through the portal. The jump caused another ringing sting in his body, but then it stilled. They were now somewhere tranquil and quiet, which was all he could ask for.

"On this berth," came the next command.

Starscream stiffened when moved, but then relaxed to finally be settled. He managed to find the strength to pry open his eyes and take in the room. What he observed was like a hospital room, but pleasing to the eye with mocha and chocolate colours, cool, and solid. Only the equipment revealed the room's purpose, promising that he would be healed here.

A face came over him, of clean white rimmed with red. It was the face he remembered, but there was no annoyance within Starscream now as he thought of the times he had spent with this bot. Despite the disputes, the drama, to see him now let Starscream be possessed by relief and a feeling of completion.

 _It's been too long. I needed to see you._

Some new memories returned to him now, feeling more recent. They revealed a time where he had sat hidden with him, sharing a moment of connection. And then, a memory disclosed the end of their times, where Starscream had been betrayed, crouching and watching this doctor vanish behind a closed door. Seeing his smug expression before he and the Autobots locked Starscream away.

 _We parted poorly, I know, but… I don't hate you._

The red-ringed eyes caught hold of Starscream's slitted silver. Within the doctor was a readable emotion.

From it, Starscream thought, _You have been wanting to see me as well… despite our ending. Why, Knockout?_

The hatred and bitterness of the past were absent as they viewed each other. The doctor hesitated, staring over his work that had returned to him, now bloodied and weak.

 _Could it be possible_ _that you missed me too?_


	12. Chapter 11: Old, New Friend

The chance to reminisce further paused when Knockout put him into stasis. Yet Starscream found himself submerged in peace just as he began to fall limp. He knew Knockout had performed surgery on him before… for…

 _Something important..._

Starscream blacked out, flopped and accepting of treatment. When he awakened, his vision and mind were heavy with fog. His eyes rolled, passing over Knockout sitting by his side. Then, as his mind cleared, his eyes locked onto him.

"Knockout," he mumbled.

He shifted back, turning his head with unease at Starscream's address.

"How do you know who I am?" Knockout furrowed his brows, gazing at him with both wariness and interest.

"I don't remember much, but… I remembered a lot about you."

Knockout flicked his eyes from left-to-right, but silence around them had already confirmed that they were alone. "So you know already? Do they know that?"

Starscream glanced over his body, which had partially been cleaned off, but was still blood-stained. His glass had yet to be replaced, but the splinters had been swept away. His arm on the other hand, although unmovable, was neatly welded together and lacking the shard.

"They know I know," Starscream murmured. "It's fine if we talk."

"Well, I'm not really supposed to talk to you." Knockout shrugged. "They didn't want me revealing anything to you. They hardly trust me at all."

"But you… you were the one who changed my body for them."

Knockout smiled. "How did you figure that out? From the nice detailing?"

Starscream chuckled and shifted up into a seated position. He felt full of energon, refueled and clear-headed. "No, I overheard them talking about it."

Knockout waved him off. "Come now, you should have known no one could have done a better job. Tell me, did anyone say anything about it? Or are you always as dusty as I found you, ruining the gleam of your paint job?"

Starscream relaxed at his friendliness, feeling the past hatred lose even more significance.

"Oh, I regret to inform you that I never cared much about cleaning and polishing," he smirked at Knockout. "I haven't thought much of my appearance this whole stellar cycle."

"What?" he protested. "After all the effort to make those colours natural? I took every appealing aspect of your body, that slender one on Earth anyway, since it was much better than that blocky mess you gave yourself. I kept to your natural frame, so imagine if I had kept you clunky. With your damage, you still wouldn't have had the strength to walk!"

"So you intentionally made me look like I used to," Starscream grinned. "I didn't know you missed me that much."

"Are you just going to tease me all night?" Knockout rolled his eyes. "I would rather catch up, since I haven't heard from you in six or seven stellar cycles. You do know how long that is, right?"

Starscream's smile faded away. "I thought you wouldn't care about me at all. Why do you even want to talk to me? Or put in so much effort to help me? I remember how I treated you, our little fights, how it ended. You shouldn't want to…"

Knockout's smile disappeared as well. "I never hated you, Screamer… Sure, we bickered like an old married couple, but… it was kind of fun. Don't you think? I mean, you always came to me to vent about everything. Remember when Shockwave came back? All you wanted to do was follow me and complain. You could be rude, and you were so shallow that you didn't care _that_ much about me. We had some moments, but in the end…"

"You don't have to say it," Starscream sighed. "I don't blame you for betraying me. You knew I was never going to treat you as a proper friend. And look at you now. You were better off joining with the Autobots anyway."

Knockout paused, then scooted his stool closer. "Where did you learn to think like this? My, did Optimus actually manage to fix you?"

He heated up and turned his head. "I… I've just been thinking a lot lately. About myself. And how to have friends…"

"So you have a lot of friends? Really?"

Starscream felt even warmer from the embarrassment due to Knockout's incredulous tone.

"I… I'm trying to be good," he mumbled, feeling that his words were so uncomfortably cheesy. "To make friends, care about others… I want to use the chance Optimus gave me."

"So you're feeling feelings you haven't felt before?" Knockout jeered.

Starscream flushed from the peak of embarrassment. "Oh, shut up already. Why do you have to sound like one of those characters in a dumb Earth movie?"

"You know, you kind of sound like your old self, but nicer if I exclude that "shut up" bit. By the way, are you telling me you've been watching _Earth_ movies?"

"Only because I didn't _know_ any better," Starscream huffed. "I've stopped now, since there are better things I could be doing."

"You liked them and you know it," Knockout laughed. "What did you see? Any horror films yet? Human ideas of the supernatural are so interesting; you should watch some movies with me sometime."

"What?" Starscream scoffed. "So you are still watching those?"

"They're scarier than you think. I bet you couldn't get through one without getting spooked!"

"You're just trying to challenge me," Starscream muttered.

"It's working, isn't it? Or have you really changed that much?"

"It's working. But, I can't truly say how much I have changed."

Knockout looked him up and down. "You _have_ changed, Starscream. We've never had such a friendly chat before, and you're actually letting me do some of the talking too. You haven't said anything derogatory about four-wheelers or mentioned flying yet, so I say I'm rather impressed."

Starscream stared at him. "I have to apologize for that… for everything I said and did to you back then. I know the way I thought and acted towards you was wrong."

Knockout blinked.

Starscream continued, "Recently, I've been learning how to treat everyone with respect, to admire their own skills… I don't feel anymore superior to anyone anymore. To tell you the truth, my best friends are all vehicons."

"What, the troopers?"

Starscream nodded. "They even know who I really am."

Knockout turned up his hands. "Well, if you're friends with vehicons, then you clearly are different. You care about the lil' guys more than I do."

"I care about a lot of things nowadays," Starscream sighed. "I've even gotten to like Prime, Bulkhead, Arcee-"

"Arcee?" Knockout echoed.

"What? What about her?"

So he still knew nothing of Cliffjumper, Knockout realized. "Oh, er- nothing. She's just not the easiest to get to."

"You're right. I suppose she doesn't interact with me much, but I admire her. She's always busy, but very determined in her tasks."

"Admire…?"

Starscream's brows bent. "What?"

Knockout tried to blanken his face. "Nothing, nothing. Anyway, why don't you tell me how it's been living with the big 'O'?"

Starscream tilted his head. "Optimus? I love living with him. I know they're always keeping an eye on me, but I don't mind it anymore. I know I'm not doing anything wrong. But he always gives me everything I need, the money to travel… Sometimes we go to the library, and he helps me study."

"I have to say, I'm happy for you," Knockout said. "I was worried you wouldn't adjust so well when the memories started coming back, but living like this has given you a new look at life."

"It still hardly feels real."

"Mm…"

Knockout got off the stool and slid it to the side. He beckoned Starscream, "Well, since your legs are fine, why don't we go inside?"

They were already inside. Confused, Starscream stared.

"This is just like a mini hospital area. Side job. I'll show you my studio, but only if you take an oil bath before stepping in there. Then, I'll fit you with some fresh glass."

Starscream slid onto his feet, very careful with his arm. He didn't know how much time had passed, but he felt so well sewn up and taken care of. The state he had been in back in that alley seemed like but a fantasy now.

Knockout padded on ahead, and Starscream followed him through the small room. Knockout looked back constantly, as though still trying to realize Starscream was real. Starscream too felt that it had happened so suddenly, and he was equally amazed by how well they had gotten along.

They entered a hall, then Knockout gestured towards a door. "In there. And make sure that you soak for a long time and that you dig into cracks, because who knows what filth was in that street!"

"Where will you be?" Starscream asked.

"Just go to the door at the end of the hall." Knockout pointed. "I'll be in there."

"Thank you."

Knockout paused, double-taking. It wasn't easy to adapt to this change, even if it was pleasant.

"You're welcome," he replied, then slowly turned to walk down the hall. Starscream looked after him, and Knockout glanced back again before and passing through the indicated door.

Finally, Starscream slid through his appointed door. He was instantly struck by a strikingly bright room, its downy-silver walls so well polished that they gleamed. Moreover, the room with the tub was much larger than any washing room he had seen before. It was mostly due to the tub itself, large enough to swim in and enough to fit ten of himself. Wide-eyed, he stepped up to it slowly.

 _It's like a spa_ , he thought. _I bet he bathes all the time, maybe daily. His career must pay well though… None of this is cheap._

As Starscream filled the tub halfway, he wondered how much money Optimus had. Surely, he had a lot, but would never waste it on the luxuries Knockout did. Perhaps it all went towards improving Cybertron.

 _I guess they all would place their money somewhere where it's needed. They wouldn't want to collect it like the corrupt, old High Council._

Starscream sank into the oil with a sigh. Its calming warmth already made him feel clean on contact. For a while, all he wanted to do was lay still, eyes shut and consciousness drifting. He felt so safe, wherever he was now. Though he eventually turned to action, rubbing and scratching himself to clear everything away.

After stepping through a dryer, Starscream headed to the door. Looking down, he admittedly felt unnaturally skinny without the glass there. While holding his stiff arm down over it, he headed to where Knockout was waiting.

After he pushed the button and opened the next door, Starscream was instantly slapped with awe. A massive room opened up before him, walls decorated with swirls and artwork. Here and there, glass statues stood to fill the space while paintings hung on the walls. In the center, there was a thick berth, which Starscream understood to be adjustable to size. It was folded in on itself for now, by tables of tools for measuring and remodeling.

Knockout was not in the midst of these things, but was found in a corner at a desk. Coming closer, Starscream found it was less of a desk, and more of a massive screen that Knockout leaned over. He grasped a mechanical pen and was tracing its point over the profile of some strange bot, his eyes sharp and movements precise.

Starscream appeared beside him. "What are you working on?"

Knockout paused his sketching, leaning back against his seat. "There are some things I have to work on even after hours, as a part of my _real_ career. This customer wants some armour chipped off for a lighter chassis, so I have to design something that fits their frame and looks nice."

Now Starscream could see the amount of lines and curves he had added. There were so many sketched over the body that it was hard to comprehend. But Knockout seemed to know exactly what he was doing.

"That's amazing," Starscream murmured.

Knockout saved the image, then pushed it to the side. Looking at Starscream with a mischievous glint, he said, "I still have the designs for you. You want to see them?"

Starscream set his hands on the desk's edge. "Really?"

Knockout smirked and dove into some files. He threw open one labelled "Moonwing" then clicked on the first image. A large Seeker appeared, thick and tall with downward sweeping wings. At another touch, Knockout brought colour to it. Starscream stared back at his most recent self of red, silver, and blue. It must have been done with a scan, since his eyes were closed. Starscream twitched, struggling to understand that it was him resting there.

Knockout swiped to another picture, an x-ray showing the small frame within the large body. His true size, hidden. Starscream then saw his plans, the lines cutting into him with a picture of his silver Earth self as reference. Lines indicated the position his wings would go in, showed the cut to shape his feet, and everything in between to create a bot capable of smooth transformation.

Then, he saw the plans for colour changes. He was shown in full black, then the silver and shades of blue had been added. Wide-eyed, he glanced over every detail. He could even see that out of all the changes of metal, it was written that his eye colour was artificial.

But, he supposed there was nothing to change one's natural eye colour.

"How did you make them silver?" He pointed at his current eyes.

"Oh that?" Knockout was surprised that this was the question he would ask first. "I mean, it isn't hard to change your own body colours artificially. Of course, I'm all natural, and you are almost except for the optic colour I tweaked. You can tinker with a T-cog and get it to do it. Your optics are a natural red, but I didn't think that would go well with the blue. Also, it makes you look too… _Starscream_ to be red."

Starscream nodded, but frowned. "About my T-cog… it still works? I can't use it to transform. It hurts so much to try to use it, and it was why I couldn't get away tonight."

Knockout found Starscream fixing him with a hopeful glance.

"Is there anything you can do?"

He hesitated, not sure what he should reveal in case Starscream didn't know. He first replied, "Well… you know why that is, right?"

"Yes, yes, that energy. How to I get it out of my organs? Healing my limbs has been much easier."

"I mean, Ratchet can. I would do it if I had the equipment, but even so, I barely understand what's actually _in_ you. All I know is that if you stress yourself enough, you can use up that power. Your body isn't meant to handle it, but I don't think you will actually hurt your organs if you try to fly. You can probably fly right now, but you will have to rely on the energy for a moment, even if it hurts."

"You think so?" Starscream sighed.

"But I can fashion you something, a weapon that requires no transformation. That will make you feel better, won't it? Since you probably felt pretty helpless tonight."

Starscream hesitated. "What kind of weapon?"

"Well, you can have some claws like you used to. If Predacons can have them-"

"I can't accept those!" Starscream protested. "I've killed bots with them."

Knockout said, "You might not have to use them if you just flash them at someone. I could make you something that flicks out and covers your hand."

Starscream remembered Shiloh saying the same about his dagger. But then again, it was implied that showing wasn't always enough.

He still argued, "I can't trust my old fighting instincts. What if I stab someone somewhere fatal? And if I do-"

"If you find yourself so scared that _that_ is your reaction, then you are probably fine to do it. You can kill if someone looks like they're about to kill you. Like, that robber put a blaster against your face, right? Sometimes robbers don't just take and run. You could get away with killing someone in court."

Starscream muttered, "You shouldn't encourage me… I don't want to kill anyone. I don't want to hurt anyone…"

"You saying that just proves that you should trust yourself. You don't want to kill anyone, so you probably won't. Besides, look." Knockout raised his own hands, pointing up his fingers to show their razor tips. Then, flexing one hand and slashing the air, he said, "If you scratch someone like this, in the chest or whatever, you won't kill them. It could be enough."

Putting his fingers together and doing an uppercut however, Knockout explained, "But obviously if you do this to someone's guts, you'll kill them, so I don't recommend that."

Starscream looked down to his feet. Knockout then added, "But look, killing isn't the end of the world. You won't destroy your chance at a new life if you do it out of necessity. Do you realize how many Optimus has killed, and all of those Autobots up top? I get that you want their trust, Starscream, but if you trust yourself, won't they too after a while?"

"Fine," he murmured. "I'll take them."

Starscream was done with looking at his designs. The images of his past brought upon troubled feelings, and with the uppercut movement of Knockout's hand, he remembered the feeling of innards. Starscream recalled jamming his hand through a vehicon's abdomen, feeling a such warmth as he punctured into…

He shook away the memory, queasy.

"How long have I been here?" Starscream murmured.

"It's been a few joors," Knockout answered.

Then not much time had passed since his shift had ended. Optimus should still be busy, so there was no rush to tell him of what had happened.

"So, do you want me to fix you up?" Knockout waved at his thinly protected abdomen. Not that having glass there would truly change that. "If you want it, and I think it looks better and has practical use."

"Okay, but…" Starscream caught his eyes. "What will it cost?"

Knockout blinked, baffled by the question. "Cost? I'm not charging you."

"You aren't? Is that not bad for business?"

"It's just glass. I can cover you." Knockout tossed up his shoulders. "Besides, haven't you been having a rough enough time lately? Or, you can just think of this as your reward for being so polite. I will just ignore your bashing of Earth movies."

He led Starscream towards the adjustable berth they had passed earlier. On the way, Starscream smirked, "What, so you will charge me if I devalue them further?"

"Probably," Knockout laughed as he adjusted the berth's size. "But I know your spark's not in it. You like them; I can tell. You're just embarrassed to admit it."

Starscream's silence served as a confirmation. But he allowed a smile to cross his face as he lay himself back on the berth. Knockout popped up at his side, assuring him, "This won't take long. I already have your measurements."

He walked off, first back to the desk to find Starscream's profile. When Starscream heard the door open and shut, he lifted himself and looked in the direction he had gone. He then lay back down, waiting for a while.

He rubbed at his face with the hand he could move, realizing in the silence how tired he was. Starscream nearly dozed off until he heard the door slide open again.

"But listen, Starscream," Knockout announced as he came in bearing a stack of curved glass. "About your T-cog, I _know_ you're going to try to transform as soon as you can. But take it easy, okay? That arm needs to heal first. One, because you won't able to move it for a while, and two, it may look fixed already, but it could tear something inside or out. The damage was pretty bad."

Knockout set down the glass and scavenged for the right tools. Starscream became solemn, the break having worn away their casual mood. "I will do as you say, Knockout. However, is it fine to continue running?"

"Is that something you do?" Knockout quirked a brow. "Why do you run?"

"Well, it's not like I can _fly_. Yet."

Starscream lay still as Knockout set to work. As he held up a piece of glass, he replied, "You can just teleport; I know you can't be poor. What do you need running for?"

Starscream huffed, "It is certainly not a waste of time, as you seem to believe it to be! It may have been hard, especially in the start, but it's good for me. I want things to be hard. Don't you think if things were easy, and I was good at everything, I would be just like before? Steve thought that might have led me to become so arrogant and shallow. That I was just so talented that I expected everyone's attention."

Starscream let out a sigh.

"I am close enough to recovering my strength anyway. Perhaps I should leave myself like this, fighting to fly again. Do you think Optimus thought the same?" He gazed at Knockout imploringly. "That I needed to learn to rely on others for help, and learn what struggle was?"

"I suppose so, and it seems to be working well for you. Whatever Optimus did was probably best for changing your attitude."

Starscream sank in relief to hear it. Surely, Optimus hadn't been merely punishing him.

Knockout added, "But you _will_ need those weapons. You aren't safe, even if they're paranoid about you."

"I will take the claws once they're ready," Starscream mumbled. "And I will talk to them. So much as been happening to me, but we're awfully quiet. I guess it is because I was worried they wouldn't believe me anyway. Like if I said that I feel fine and still care about others, they might think I was lying and plotting revenge. But I _will_ talk to them. I have to convince them that I have no intentions of attacking anyone. It will be more important now than ever."

"I can probably have the claws ready in… let's say ten solar cycles? I've been wanting to work on this project for a while, but I have to get the measurements just right for it to work. I should probably measure your servos again just to be sure. Do you think you can stay alive that long?"

Starscream smirked. "I don't make a habit of getting jumped in allies. I should just ask Shiloh to guard me."

"All these human-named bots you mention, they're the vehicons, aren't they? So they like human culture too?"

"I suppose they do," Starscream answered, though hadn't thought much of it before. Only Carnation had ever talked passionately about Earth, about its lifeforms.

"Then I guess they wouldn't mind joining us for movie nights."

"You're quite keen on that." But the suggestion to include his close friends pleased him. Starscream twitched his wings in amusement.

"Stay still!"

"Apologies," Starscream smiled.

"Anyway, no running until then. You don't want to jostle your injury. Like I said, something inside might rip. If you like internal leaking though, be my guest."

Starscream glanced at Knockout hands while they fixed in the last glass plate. "I'll be careful."

Knockout finished soon after. He was then patient, letting Knockout hold up his hand and measure the lengths and the girths with the nearby tools. The work was quick from experience, and soon Knockout offered, "I can take you home after this."

Starscream nodded. "Yes, thank you."

After confirming everything was properly recorded, Knockout put away his tools and notes. Starscream slid off the berth and stood, leaning back and bending forward the test the glass. Everything slid as it should to his movements. His abdomen was the same silvery colour as before, and it was as though nothing had happened.

Side-by-side, the two left the building and walked out into the deepest darkness of the night, the kind before the sun bled into the sky. Starscream carefully stepped out alongside Knockout and cast a glance back to see where they had been. There was nothing to suggest that it was also partially a hospital; it was a purely lavish building with enough yard to separate it from the dull shops beside it. It was low and wide, mostly red and with a slanted roof. The sign glowing in the night announced with no humility _Knockout's Studio of Design_.

"I wonder which vain bot works there," Starscream commented.

"What's the harm, if everyone learns to know the name?" Knockout said. "And I am quite popular, mind you. They pay lots to have _me_ make them beautiful."

Starscream paid close attention to his surroundings to remember how to return here. It was a new region of Iacon he hadn't seen yet, somewhere away from the scene of violence. Soon they arrived to familiar turf after a calm walk. The sirens had quieted by now, but Starscream rippled with unease, imagining the groups grimly discussing what had happened.

Knockout saw him to the Square. The Elite Guards were watching him closely enough that he knew he couldn't get too close to their living space. Here, Knockout would have to say his farewell.

"As unfortunate as you getting injured was, it was good to see you," Knockout told him. Starscream turned when he halted, catching his gaze. "I was always wondering how you were getting on. I've been busy, but I was always planning on seeing you, even from a distance, to watch how you interact with others. But I see now how kind you've become."

Starscream's eyes softened; it was suddenly saddening to see him departing already.

"It won't be hard to find me," Knockout said while beginning to stroll away. "Come by again, _Moonwing_. Also, give yourself a polish already!"

Starscream raised his hand, curling his fingertips.

"See you, Knockout."

With that, Starscream turned and headed his own way. Yet he looked back once, watching the red bot carrying on into the cold city alone. Starscream then passed by the guards, entering the building. He was already thinking that he would spend most of the next day away sleeping. It was almost morning, and he had no work for tomorrow.

Starscream carefully made it to the top of the stairs. As he rounded the corner, his eyes widened.

"Optimus!"

He hadn't expected him to be here so early. He supposed it had been long enough though. And now, there seemed to be a group gathered before him.

 _Who's he talking to?_

As Optimus turned, Starscream peeked to the side. Windblade, Arcee, Bulkhead, and Jazz were naturally there, and the faces of the High Council were creased in cold seriousness. A part of Starscream was relieved to find that Predaking had not followed them here, penetrating the sanctuary. Starscream then noticed an outlier among them. It was Smokescreen, and he stood with an ugly scar beginning just under his eye. It swept vertically down his face, skipping over his neck and tearing down his chest. Although welded, the bump and thickness of the wound appalled him.

Starscream froze, eyes narrowing in horror. He had sent messages to his friends, but he had forgotten about everyone who lived in the High Tower. It had nothing to do with the distance that had been growing between him and Smokescreen. Everyone who lived here had just seemed untouchable, as though nothing could ever harm them.

The cut was centimetres from Smokescreen's eye, and it scraped over all his precious organs. Dread swirled in Starscream's insides.

 _He could have been killed._

And it would have been so unexpected. Like the last deaths.

He stumbled forward. "Smokescreen! Are you okay? What has happened to you?"

The group parted as Starscream scrambled through. Optimus dipped his head and carefully watched as Starscream skidded, stopping to check the severity of Smokescreen's wound.

"Nothing to worry about," Smokescreen replied, though with eyes widening at his concern. "It was that Predacon, thrashing like a mad beast when we were trying to fight it off."

Starscream's blood felt cold. "You were one of the officers trying to defend the civilians."

"What happened to you?" Smokescreen stared at the welded cut on his arm. "You weren't there, were you?"

"No," Starscream whispered. "I was at work. This happened on the way back."

It didn't matter now.

"How badly was everyone hurt?" Starscream asked.

"No one died," Smokescreen sighed, his eyes sharpening in remembrance of the carnage he had seen. "But most wounds were a lot worse than mine. Did you see the recent news?"

"Not yet," Starscream said.

 _Why does that matter?_

"The weight of new construction caused the ground to unexpectedly collapse. No one fell, but some workers were stuck. While we were digging out bots, we saw this Predacon."

Smokescreen waved his hands to describe the scene.

"It was at the very bottom of this unbelievably deep hole! It was a tunnel that had been covered for like forever, probably opening up a bit after Cybertron's plates shifted. Those workers broke that last layer- there was just no way a newly forged Predacon could have gotten down there." Smokescreen's eyes gleamed. "It suddenly stirred to life and flew out. It was caked in rust and savage. It attacked anything that moved, biting and drinking energon. At least thirty were injured!"

"What?" Starscream croaked.

"Exactly. It has to be something ancient, that's been down there in stasis lock for _ages_."

Windblade cut in. "We're dealing with an original Predacon."

" _What_?" Starscream repeated.

He thought, _That's impossible. Predacons have been extinct for ages until now. None of them survived the Great Cataclysm._

Smokescreen nodded. "We're trying to decide what to do with it."

"Wh-where is it now?" Starscream stared warily at Smokescreen's scratch.

Bulkhead answered, "Predaking wanted him, and it was probably best to send the Predacon to their district. The Seekers have him in custody, while Predaking wants to try to reason with him."

 _Reason?_ Starscream grit his teeth. His memories of being hunted and pinned down returned now. He remembered a flash of teeth and claws trying to snag him. _That Predacon drank their energon! It would have tried to eat Smokescreen if given the chance!_

Starscream swept his head back to them as Jazz said, "It might be the best thing we can do."

Optimus blinked slowly. Starscream glanced up to him as he explained, "We cannot condemn the Predacon for his ignorance. If Predaking can show him the ways of the new world, then perhaps he can live peacefully among us."

Starscream turned away from him, quivering in ire. How could anyone want to live alongside a carnivorous race? They were biologically made to be able to consume them and filter out the metal parts. It was vile. There was no possible way Predacons could ignore the instinct to regard them as prey. That king of the Predacons had the potential to be like the savage Predacon that had mauled workers and officers. Had Predaking not intended to kill him years ago? What would Predaking have done with his body then?

Looking at Smokescreen, Starscream's spark sunk. The shard that had stabbed Starscream was as damaging as a single fang of a Predacon.

 _We came so close to losing you_. _Thank Primus you were scratched, not bitten._

That scar on his face was still so unbearably close to Smokescreen's right eye.

 _You could have been blinded_.

Starscream's wings fell as he drew into Smokescreen. He embraced him, careful not to press against his cut. Smokescreen stood in surprise. It had been months without much talk, and the time of Moonwing had long passed. He widened his eyes again, astonished that Starscream was still attached to him, and had concerns for him.

Indeed, he was still attached. Starscream felt a protective blaze within him, a desperation that he used to only feel for himself.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he rumbled.

 _Throw those Predacons into the pits_. He glared over Smokescreen's shoulder. _The savage creatures!_

Smokescreen had done more than required of his old job. He had been kind to Starscream, answering his questions and being affectionate when no one else had at first. Smokescreen had helped him stand and walk, despite knowing all along who he was. Now, Starscream recognized how important Smokescreen had been in shaping Starscream's determined self, after having had taught him to be confident and to ignore the scorning laughter of others.

Starscream had despised everything that had happened today, but he was touched personally now. A claw had dared tear into Smokescreen, who had only been trying to help those affected by the collapse. And so many workers on Cybertron were Newsparks, immigrants from colonies, and vehicons, just trying to make their way into the world since they were still uncertain of their passions. He had friends of all these types, and while none had been hurt today, that Predacon would have eagerly attacked them.

Knowing all this, he could hardly stand still. He remembered how Predaking had spotted him from among the crowd, glaring at him. Where was the sorrow for the victims? Starscream had not been able to find it on that Predacon's face. How then, could Predaking teach the ancient Predacon to respect the bipeds and care for their lives?

 _He can't. He will never be able to._

Rage flamed in that blaze within Starscream's spark. If nothing could be done to change them, then the answer to the crime and future crimes was clear.

This was a case for vengeance.


	13. Chapter 12: Predacon Valley

Starscream had stalked off and fallen asleep while Optimus spoke in the halls. He woke hours later, slapped with silence. The upper floor felt empty, as barren as a wreckage. Optimus was gone, and he sensed that the others were too.

Unease scampered down his back. He had been left unattended and without a phone, with an injury on his arm. Optimus may have trusted him to be independent, Starscream could not find satisfaction in his departure.

 _This is much bigger than I am. Cybertron must be in danger._

Starscream bared his teeth in remembrance of the Predacon's attack. Was Smokescreen resting, or had he gone back to work? Was the scratch deep? Starscream was so tired he could barely stay awake, but he wanted to know how he was. After stalking out from the apartment, he found Smokescreen's door and knocked. There was no answer. Either he was deep in recharge, or out there somewhere.

Starscream descended the stairs, holding back from a jog to keep his arm still. He hurried to the library, one thought powerful in his mind.

 _Did they go to the Predacon District?_

Maybe he had been left a message to read after his recharge. Starscream logged in on a public computer in order to access his account. There, he discovered that Optimus had at least left him something. He had noticed his missing phone, but hadn't had the time to replace it. Starscream was relieved that Optimus had predicted he would think ahead, and that someone was updating him.

Quickly reading his explanation, Starscream learned that Optimus had gone to the Predacon District while the others were called away to answer the Press today. He assumed he meant the High Council. But what about an Elite Guard like Smokescreen? Starscream didn't see any messages from him.

 _I do hope he is just resting._

As Starscream then went through the other messages abuzz with the news, he froze to find a message from Knockout. Not since he was surprised that he found him and messaged him so soon, but because of the content.

 _I'm rather surprised, but they asked ME to go help fix up that psychotic and rusty Predacon! I guess my talent is pretty famous now, don't you think? So if you were thinking of dropping by this week, come after sunset. I'm going to be super busy, but I promise I'll still make your thing in time._

Starscream's eyes expanded. Knockout had gone to the Predacon District too, moreover, to work on the savage, ancient Predacon! He could already feel his spark jerking in rage and concern. The Predacon would undoubtedly be clamped down and likely sedated, but its instincts had proven how the other Predacons were. _That_ was a Predacon without fear of societal laws. Weren't there already enough Predacon robberies to back the point that they could be just like the ancient one?

 _They would go for Knockout if they thought they could get away with it._

His hands clenched and he exposed his teeth again in a snarl. Starscream could not imagine how anyone could think there was a way to live alongside this race. They insisted so much on keeping their claws, and they protested for the right to transform wherever they pleased. Clearly, they enjoyed being beastly and uncivil.

 _How can I stop them?_ Starscream wondered if there was anything he could do, if they had any particular weaknesses.

 _I can't so much as display aggression before my trial_ , Starscream thought. _No one is going to agree with me there. But they agree that we can't let this go on. Why else would they keep these laws restricting that race? Predacons are savages! Perhaps I can find a way to eliminate them. No one can hear my thoughts, but they can see my actions and hear my voice when they examine my memories. I can disguise my actions. Yes, if I go to the Predacon's valley now, I can examine the enemy while I try to convince Knockout to leave._

Starscream shut down the computer and sprinted back to the High Tower. He took the elevator, hurrying to snatch his unused bank card from a drawer. When he came back down to the surface, Starscream beelined to the public warp station. He skid into the line, swaying and tapping from impatience. The line shortened one by one, and when he arrived at the front, he called over a staff member.

He rushed, "The coordinates for Predacon Valley."

"What? What do you want to go there for?"

With a growl, he commanded, "Just give me them."

The employee backed off and did as told. After the coordinates had been imputed for him, Starscream dashed through the portal. In a moment, he found himself hurled onto unfamiliar land. He was far from home, the air warmer and the sun higher in the sky than it had been moments before. Starscream dropped onto a square of metal, wall-less but with a tented roof that shaded him. His sharp eyes scanned over a cliff, finding an inhabited lowland expanse.

The wind buffeted him as he took in the city structure. There were no tall buildings in sight, but instead there were one-story houses that littered the land seemingly haphazardly. If it weren't for the massive shapes prowling the spaces, Starscream would have thought this to be a historical site of medieval times.

His eyes narrowed, observing the many shining shapes that stalked the land. There were far too many, moving like a constant patrol around the perimeter.

 _So they enjoy staying in that beastly form the whole time_. Starscream glared. _I bet they think they are so powerful and superior. And they're proud of their history too! Mighty race indeed, murderers!_

They looked small now, but soon he would be down there to see the curves of their claws and fangs. Starscream hadn't noticed the Seeker resting at a table under the tent. It was only when he spoke, that Starscream calmed his his hate-injected thoughts to think more clearly.

"G'day," he called to Starscream. "What's the reason for the visit?"

Starscream stared at the red Seeker, pulling a smile.

"I'm looking for my friend," Starscream answered. "Knockout. Could you take me to him?"

"That's one of the body detailers here today, isn't it? But if you know that much, then you know about that crazy Predacon. You shouldn't go near it."

"Is the Predacon not restrained?" Starscream asked innocently. "I thought it would be locked in a private area."

The Seeker shook his head but affirmed, "Of course we restrained and tranquilized it! But it's not like there's anywhere private here"- He threw out his hand toward the valley- "The Predacon's out there in the open if you really want to see it, but..."

Starscream sighed, "I am happy to hear that, but…"

"But what?"

"I need to talk to my friend."

"I'll call in someone to take you. Could you just fill in an information form?"

He echoed, "A form?"

The Seeker said, "Yeah, we monitor everyone who comes here. That Predaking doesn't like visitors, and if any come, he wants to know what they are doing."

Starscream's eyes gleamed as the Seeker turned to get a Datapad. "Then I suppose the Predacons don't like you Seekers being here, even though there are so few of you. How many were you again?"

"So true!" The red Seeker exclaimed. "There's only seven of us with Commander Air Raid, but they think we're so nosy, and they're impossible to talk to! They think they're above us, that Seekers aren't good enough as a police force. Then we arrest one of them, and they cry police brutality! About null rays, of all things! What would they rather us do? Shoot them with heat seekers instead?"

The Seeker paused his work, eyes shining to have someone to spill this too. Starscream knew that as a fellow flier, he would seem like someone who would understand. So Starscream encouraged him, "I cannot believe they dishonour the skills and training of Seekers. Without you keeping the peace in the Valley, the District would fall into chaos. I, for one, and thankful for your services."

"Are you planning on becoming a Seeker too?" he asked.

"Yes," Starscream answered.

"What area?" The form was completely forgotten as the Seeker gazed amicably at Starscream.

"I haven't decided yet," he replied, playing bashful. "I don't know what to expect in each one…"

"Well here, we split up the duties. Someone sits around up here all the time to appease Predaking. Then we have at least someone flying around the area, watching for so called _trespassers_ and for squabbles. Primus, Predacons can't settle arguments like sensible beings. Always want to fight."

"Is it really that hard? How do you manage?"

"It isn't _so_ hard." The Seeker predictably tried to seem competent in his job. "Sometimes we're just walking around and talking surveys. Or me, taking a rest up here."

"Oh, I see."

Starscream pretended to just remember the form. As he started filling in his information, the Seeker said, "So you're Moonwing, right? You live with Optimus?"

"Yes."

"The name's Redwing."

"I suppose we have much in common then," Starscream smiled.

"So then, Moonwing, since you paid to come all this way, would you like a tour? I can get Barrel Roll to take care of you."

"A tour?" Starscream's spark jittered, but he tried to hide his excitement. "But I should really get to my friend…"

"Of course. Alright then, Barrel Roll will take you straight down."

Redwing called the other Seeker, and Starscream waited until a green jet rose from the Valley and swept up to them. The broad-shouldered Seeker landed and looked over the smaller flier.

"Moonwing," Barrel Roll greeted him. "I'm Barrel Roll. I was an Autobot Aerialbot, friend of Optimus. You want to see him? I can fly you there."

"I am still unable to fly, unfortunately," Starscream said. "And I'm actually looking for my friend, Knockout. He should be with Optimus hopefully, dealing with…"

"The Predacon? We can walk there then, Moon. It will take less than a joor."

Excellent. Walking would gain him a tour, but no one would know from his memories that he had been waiting for one. Barrel Roll led Starscream went down a path, one that twisted gently down into the lowlands. All the while, Starscream took note of the landscape.

 _So Seekers patrol the area, and Predaking carefully notes who comes in and out. Sneaking in on the surface would be difficult. I can't just fly in here. Coming in the regular warp station won't do any good either. Everyone would suspect me if something happened while I was "visiting". Maybe I could find an isolated spot to teleport in. Vehicons have illegal portal guns. But I would have to wait until after the Trial to use them._

Starscream tried to familiarize himself with the land. When they reached the flat bottom of the valley, there were plates and pillars of metal that spiked up like a forest. But here was no good for illegal entrance, for it was in sight of the permanent guard up at the warp station.

 _But even if I get in, what could I do?_

Barrel Roll began to point out interesting structures to him and landmarks. Once they entered the edge of the city, he discussed the lack of streets, and that there was hardly anything here but houses for them to live in.

 _Scraplets in a slum. But still, too exposed to sneak-_

There was a clink of claws on the metal. A deep fear stabbed into Starscream and he pressed close to Barrel Roll as a Predacon marched into sight. He saw its yellow eyes narrow at himself in particular, the unfamiliar visitor. Its mouth stirred, fangs parting slightly. Starscream flicked down his wings, spark wobbling as it prowled closer. Barrel Roll held his posture straight, holding Starscream by a shoulder plate and guiding him along. The Predacon passed them, but there was nowhere safe now. They had entered their lands, and they were surrounded.

Starscream shivered as they strode deeper into something he couldn't accept as a proper _city_. There were Predacons milling about in front and behind him, all in their beast modes among the plainly detailed land. No amount of head-flicking could keep track of them all among the paths and homes. At their random chirps and growls to each other, Starscream flinched, interpreting them automatically as aggressive sounds.

Barrel Roll stepped close to Predacons resting their immense bodies in the sun. Starscream could find no such confidence, hopping cautiously around the paws as large as his chest.

 _How could we have allowed so many of them to exist?_ Starscream flicked his wide eyes over the countless coloured bodies and dozens of silver claws. He had wanted to do something for his friends, but here among the Predacons, he felt so small. When he saw the Predacons look up and over at him, he believed their glares hid fantasies of sinking their fangs into him.

He was dismayed by a feeling of powerlessness. But then, all was clear when he saw the fountain. It was larger than any Predacon, glistening white and pouring liquid energon into a surrounding pool. It was the most ornate thing he had seen so far in this underdeveloped area. Predacons approached it, dipping their faces into the pool and swallowing deep gulps of blue. Then the solution became clear. He _could_ protect his friends.

 _That is it. I can poison the fountain! But I still need to find a way in..._

A shrill screech cracked the air, so familiar that it resonated in Starscream's frame. He jerked into reaction, already ducking for shelter behind Barrel Roll's larger body. He tucked himself in between the Seeker's wings, soon hearing slow wings flaps quickening upon landing.

"Whoa, your Highness." Barrel Roll's steady greeting was heard. "What is the matter? Do you require me?"

Starscream heard the sound of transformation. Heavy footsteps crashed near. The next booming voice was as familiar as the previous screech and wing flaps.

"Remove him from my land!" Predaking snarled. "Immediately!"

"What? Who?" Barrel Roll blinked. "If you don't want the team to help your Predacon, then you should speak to Air Co-"

"Not any of them," Predaking grit his teeth. " _Him_."

Barrel Roll turned, and Starscream moved back to not get tangled in his wings. Starscream found himself promptly in full view of Predaking, who was still pointing a rigid claw at him. Barrel Roll gazed from him back to Predaking incredulously.

"One tourist?" the Seeker said. "Don't you think you're being dramatic?"

"I can tolerate tourists." Predaking's eyes sharpened. "But he is no tourist."

Barrel Roll said, "He just came to talk to a friend. He will hardly get in anyone's way."

"You don't know him," Predaking hissed. "Take him away, or I will."

"And what do you know about Moonwing?" Barrel Roll turned his head. "He's just a gentle Newspark who lives with Optimus. He's no threat to you or your folk."

Predaking flexed his fingers. He was silent for a moment, calculating what to say. He saw Starscream seeming to stare back in satisfaction.

 _He thinks he is untouchable!_ Predaking widened his eyes, incredulous.

"I know you are up to something," Predaking spoke through gritted teeth and stared down into Starscream's eyes. "I know you are not innocent. You are hiding behind kindness. If I ever catch you lurking here again, I will not be as merciful!"

Barrel Roll started, "What are you-"

Predaking's chest lurched upwards, a long neck and broad face sliding out. At the sound of transformation, his body and claws expanded while a bladed tail stretched across the ground. Starscream stumbled back as the giant beast appeared before them, draconic face releasing a growl between its fangs. Barrel Roll was so surprised that he could not react in time. Neither could Starscream. Predaking lashed out an arm around Barrel Roll, wiping his claws at his true target.

With a screech, Starscream hit the ground and ducked the swipe. Predaking opened his wings and bore down on him, catching Barrel Roll and unintentionally throwing him off his feet. The Predacons around them jolted, hopping away and standing back. They watched their leader pursue the flier, thundering after him as he fled. They rocked on their ankles in uncertainty, and Barrel Roll too did not know if he could oppose the Valley's leader. But Starscream was far from quiet in his panic. All the memories were fresh in his mind, of being chased before.

 _No! I don't want to die! I can't, not in this new life! My friends_ -

Starscream caterwauled and threw himself this way and that, barely avoiding Predaking's claws each time. Furious, Predaking tossed his wings forward and blocked off all chances of escape. Now that he had enclosed Starscream and himself in a dark cage, he dragged his wings toward himself. The space between them tightened, and Starscream was shoved closer to the fanged face glowing ominously yellow in the dark.

 _I didn't come here for this!_

Starscream shrieked as loudly as he could, hoping that someone would save him. He floundered to escape the monstrous face, not knowing that the face had no intentions of violence. Predaking slammed his paw down on him at last, gripping him into his claws. He spread his wings to the sky, screwing up his eyes as Starscream continued to scream bloody murder. Just before he could launch into the air, there came a chorus of horrified yells. Predaking snapped his head to the side as the Air Commander rushed in with two Seekers and, as he dreaded, Optimus Prime.

"What in the Allspark are you doing?" Air Raid hollered.

When they barged in, the Seekers could only see a scrawny flier squirming in obvious fright under his claws. Predaking huffed, knowing that the image presented was bad. He transformed, but quickly caught Starscream by the arm before he could tear off again.

"I had no intentions of harming him," Predaking muttered. "I am only removing him from my land."

Optimus stepped forward, glowering. Starscream paused his struggling and whimpering, feeling a warmth of safety wash over him to see Optimus there.

"Release him," Optimus commanded.

Predaking paused, eyebrows lowering, then dramatically unclenched his hand. Starscream scrambled for balance then hurdled to Optimus.

"He is not welcome here, or anywhere near here," Predaking uttered.

Air Raid called, "What is the issue, Predaking? Explain it to me."

Predaking's face twitched in frustration. This was impossible to justify if he had to be silent about Starscream's identity. He had given his word that he would not reveal it.

Optimus tried to aid him with this. "Predaking, you are mistaking him for someone who once troubled you."

 _I know he is not gone!_ Predaking stood rigid, containing his fury. _That Predacon-killer stands before me, no doubt after revenge! He remembers me. I know it all from his eyes and by how he screamed._

Predaking drew air over his face plates. He smelled something familiar: Starscream's fresh blood. He finally caught sight of blue trickling from his upper arm. He was sure he had avoided scratching him, so it must have been a previous injury.

 _If he hadn't foolishly struggled, he wouldn't have gotten hurt!_

Predaking found no sympathy, but understood how this made his image much worse.

"Just get him away," Predaking forced out through a tight jaw.

Starscream kept his wings down, shaking pitifully against Optimus's side. Predaking had the urge to snatch him, frustrated since he believed Starscream was playing them all. Surely, he was just trying now to win their concern and turn Predaking into the villain.

But Starscream was too shocked by the experience to think of any more vengeful plans now. He did not think of how small and scared he appeared to everyone else.

"M-my king," came a new voice. A tall bot entered the scene with a well polished green body as shiny as Knockout liked his. Starscream realized a second later that this was a Predacon, marked by the wings folded behind his back and his other sharp attachments.

Predaking glanced to him as the Predacon continued, "Perhaps you should not be so harsh to our visitor, even if he reminds you of someone else."

The circle of bystanders closed in, some transforming from beasts into faces that seemed sensible and kind.

An orange Predacon said, "Our race has already been tarnished by that ancient one. We need to be careful to not frighten our neighbours."

Predaking stayed silent, listening as another Predacon spoke, "We know you weren't trying to hurt him, but you terrorized the little flier. He doesn't look like he even _can_ fly either."

A few heads turned, glancing at Starscream with compassion. Starscream scrunched inwards, wondering if that was truly worry in their eyes when they saw his running blood. Worried, he placed a hand over the cut, although it could not hide the smear already down his arm.

The green Predacon spoke again, "Look at him; he isn't going to hurt you or anyone. The Seeker said he's Moonwing, just a Newspark who lives with Optimus."

Predaking squeezed his hands. He didn't want to argue with his kind, but he willed them to understand. But there was no way for them to know that this was Starscream, the second-in-command of the Decepticons, a cruel coward and killer of Predacons Skylynx and Darksteel. If only he could explain the danger of Starscream's unpredictability.

"Fine then," Predaking uttered. He flicked away the blood on his hand in disgust. "Let him stay."

 _But he will never stray from my sight._

Starscream shifted, his eyes clearing as he watched the Predacons. He couldn't find it in him to hate them like this. They looked like those of his own race now that they had lifted their beastly faces. The ones still in their draconic forms looked callous to him, but now here were many Predacons who came up to him carefully in acceptable bodies.

"Are you alright?" a brown Predacon murmured.

Optimus examined Starscream's arm. He answered for him, "He needs to have his injury treated."

Starscream touched Optimus's side, walking with him as they exited the scene. He was so thankful Optimus was there, even though Predaking followed at a distance. Things would be better now, no matter where they went.

When they came to another clearing nearby, Starscream instantly singled out Knockout. Beside him, a Predacon almost as large as Predaking lay on the ground, unconscious and tied up. Knockout was one of the three working on the plates of the Predacon affected by a nasty rust infection, but he whipped his attention onto the returning crowd. He too had heard Starscream's incredibly loud scream.

Now, seeing that Starscream's cut had reopened, Knockout rushed over and took him from Optimus.

"Didn't I tell you to be careful?" Knockout said. "Like, a few joors ago? Why did you even come here?"

Starscream was silent, still too shocked to enjoy his jesting. Knockout scanned his arm for internal damage, but there was none. He then grabbed a tool and swiftly sealed the parted metal. In minutes, Starscream was repaired. Yet Knockout could see how frightened he still was, and when Starscream fully realized who he was beside, he dove away from the Predacon.

"Relax," Knockout murmured. He could see Starscream's eyes flickering, following the horrors of memories and remembering the victims of this Predacon. He wished he had all his medical supplies, but he hadn't taken them here. There was nothing he could give Starscream for his shock when all he had was a powerful sedative meant for Predacons.

Knockout led Starscream away instead, sitting him in the shade.

"Close your optics and ventilate." Knockout could feel the heat coming off him. His body was too weak to handle this stress, and it couldn't be good for his spark chamber to get overheated.

A golden Seeker padded in, one that had followed his Air Commander to the previous scene. After seeing all that had happened, he asked, "Can I do anything?"

Knockout nodded. "Help him calm down. He has… a health condition."

Leaving to continue his work, Knockout left him with the Seeker. He could tell how exhausted Starscream was, and knew that with some peace, he would soon recover.

"Barrel Roll!" Air Raid called. "Why didn't you stop Predaking?"

"Stop him?" Starscream heard Barrel Roll protest from afar. " _Predaking_? But he's the leader of the area, how could I?"

"You follow orders from the Air Command, not the Predacons!"

The scolding faded away when Starscream heard the Seeker drop down next to him. The stranger had warm, blue eyes, and his wings and body resembled his own. He suddenly leaned Starscream against him, rubbing his back and holding him as though they were already close friends. Starscream was vaguely surprised by the lack of hesitation, but suddenly his spark ached with kinship.

He knew he was a Seeker before, and having another one so close to him brought on nostalgic feelings. Starscream didn't want to be selfish and alone. Unlike anything he would do in the past, Starscream now let this Seeker hug him. It was more comforting than anything he thought he could remember.

When Starscream finally found his voice again, he mumbled, "What is your name?"

"Sunchaser," the Seeker answered breezily.

He held Starscream and gently pet his lower wings for a while longer. While Starscream kept his eyes closed, Sunchaser murmured, "I'm so sorry this happened to you. You reminded him of Starscream, didn't you? But I promise that he didn't want to hurt you. Predaking is honourable; he speaks against violence and persuades the Predacons to leave our race in peace. He doesn't allow animals to be hurt either. He provides those fountains so that no one would ever think of treating other Cybertronians as prey."

Starscream listened carefully and sank into him and his reassuring voice.

"It might have seemed bad, but Predaking would never try to eat you, even if you were Starscream! He doesn't think like that. You know how he is a clone? He even speaks kindly of his creator, Shockwave. He is closer to our race than you realize."

When Starscream stayed quiet, Sunchaser continued.

"I like the Predacons. The other Seekers might disagree, but I think they are as kind and unique as us. Some of them are my friends. Oh, if only this ancient Predacon hadn't appeared! I just wish bots like you didn't have to be so scared."

However, Starscream didn't feel so frightened anymore. That rage from before had also departed. Like clouds parting and revealing the sun, the realization became clear. Only one Predacon had hurt those innocents in Iacon, yet he had overreacted and labelled the entire race.

 _How could I have judged them before ever seeing them? What Sunchaser is saying about Predacons sounds like how I would defend vehicons, Corvicons, Insecticons, Cyclones… There are those who hate them, thinking they can't feel and love._

He thought especially of his closest vehicon friends.

 _If someone hurt them for what they were, I would have thought them to be the monster._

A great shame descended onto Starscream's bent body. It was crushing, unbearable, as he sat in disbelief of how violent his intentions had just been. Something wet dripped from his elbow. Was it blood? No, now it was leaking from his eyes. Sunchaser checked the sudden wetness he felt, pulling back and gasping.

"Are you okay? Should I call over the doc?"

"No," Starscream whispered. "This is normal."

"Are you very damaged?"

Starscream nodded.

Sunchaser lowered his voice, "But why are you sad? Are you?"

Starscream brushed away a drop as his throat clenched. Suddenly, his thoughts began to tumble from his mouth.

"I really am terrible," he choked. "Oh, I've made a horrible mistake. How could I have thought of…"

Then he contained them, swallowing back the horror of his plans.

"It's alright," Sunchaser sighed, holding Starscream against his chest despite his golden tears. "So many think poorly of Predacons before they really meet them."

 _But Predaking was right_ , Starscream thought with a jerk. _I was scheming. I was something to be feared. Of course he should have strict borders, when there are those like me around. I was planning on tricking the Autobots at Trial and then committing a genocide! Optimus trusted me, but I was just planning of betraying everyone..._

He cracked and fell trembling into the Seeker. He was wrought with self-loathing, dripping so much from his joints and eyes that Sunchaser was overwhelmed with concern. Scared for the fragility of Starscream's body, Sunchaser was about to call for Knockout. Optimus came before then, and Sunchaser moved back so Optimus could get to Starscream.

Starscream froze at his hand on his wing. While his eyes had been closed, he hadn't known Optimus had been so near him. Reminded of him, Starscream thought, _Optimus, you should have never trusted me! How would you have felt, giving me this life then having me poison the innocents? What if I had actually gone through with it?_

He wondered if he should confess. If he said everything he had plotted aloud, then he could never get away with the crime. Yet he couldn't say it here or now, even if he wanted to. He was too stiff to extract any words. Starscream only thought, _You wouldn't try to touch me now if you knew why I really came here._

Predaking stared at them from the corner of his eye, sorting through confusion. Usually his feelings about Starscream were clear, but now Predaking did not understand what was happening. He was trying to believe Starscream was still acting to win their pity, but now it was becoming less believable. His wings were still down as he shook beside the yellow Seeker, but most shocking of all, Starscream seemed to be crying for some reason.

Predaking watched them, wondering what could be wrong. Starscream couldn't have brought upon fake tears just for an act. Only a real damage and stress on his body could do this. It started to dawn on him that Starscream, who hadn't managed to say a word back to him, had to truly be upset about something.

 _Did I cause this?_ It seemed like an extreme reaction, but Predaking looked at Starscream and felt that he didn't know him. He seemed so gentle and sensitive, and now the Predacons that had argued with him were approaching Starscream in bot-form to not startle him.

Starscream heard them coming and creaked open his eyes, looking from their feet to faces. The brown Predacon looked him over and murmured, "I'm sorry. I don't think Predaking knew how delicate your body is."

The orange Predacon said, "Even so, we're sorry for everything that happened. I wish I had stepped in."

"Me too," another concurred. "It looked like you have had a bad experience before. We're very sorry."

They were so well spoken, using polite Cybertronian and voices as normal as anyone else's. The guilt wedged in deeper. Starscream wished they didn't comfort him. They thought he was frightened horribly from the experience, not realizing that he was only frightened now of himself.

 _I thought I could trust myself. If I tell Optimus what I thought about, will I ruin my future forever? Won't it guarantee that I am not fit to live in this society?_

Starscream couldn't bear having Optimus still touching him. Now he had this secret hidden from him, and Starscream felt so filthy from it.

"Do you wish to return to Iacon?" Optimus offered.

 _Do I?_ Starscream knew he had come here with ill intentions, but perhaps he could mend that. The day was young, even with the change in time zones.

 _Perhaps I should stay to see what the Predacons are like, and change my perspective of them permanently. If I learn to accept them, then I can no longer be a danger to them._

He saw that Knockout kept pausing his work to check on him in the shade. It hardly seemed like that figure there was a Predacon locked up beside him. With its eyes closed and body unmoving, it looked like a massive lump of rust. Its claws were dull and corroded along with all the points of its body. Starscream could not imagine it moving and alive, but it had apparently flown and attacked many.

 _I suppose no one was killed because it was so damaged._

Starscream became quiet and calmer. He still hadn't answered Optimus, too captivated now with watching Knockout work on the Predacon. The breeze was gentle, and the Valley was quiet in a way cities could never be. Although gargantuan, Predacons filtered in and out without disturbing the peace. They took peeks at the Predacon, then left once they had seen enough.

Without the roaring cars, honking, and constant noise, the land had a charm that Starscream grew to appreciate. Optimus left Starscream alone once he seemed back to his normal, bright self. Starscream flicked away his tears and let go of Sunchaser, sitting in a new calm. Some Predacons sat by them in their bot forms, staying from sympathy and also to watch over ancient Predacon with him.

"I hope we can teach him our ways," one of the Predacons commented after a time. "He can't be any different than us."

Sunchaser said, "I'm glad no one was killed. It would have been a lot more complicated. But now, maybe everyone will forgive him."

"He was in stasis lock for so long," another Predacon agreed. "He didn't know better. He must have been so low on fuel. I can't imagine what that would feel like."

The Seeker added, "I heard that energon was so scarce in the War that factions remaining on Cybertron would drain the energon of their enemies. Autobots and Decepticons took corpses and drank what was in their bodies!"

"Gross, Sunny. How are you the most morbid but the most cheery of all our Seekers?"

Another Predacon glanced in the direction of the fountain. "It is so nice to live in a peaceful time. No one has to know energon deficiency."

Starscream hugged his legs and stared at Knockout with his chin on his knee. He glanced to the left and saw Optimus conversing with Predaking at a distance from the others. When Predaking glanced to him suddenly, Starscream twitched and snapped his head away. Knowing they were talking about him, he self-consciously squeezed his wings inwards.

He pretended not to notice them, and he trained his eyes on the Seekers. Air Raid had long since finished lecturing Barrel Roll, and now they stood with a rosey-pink Seeker and watched the work on the Predacon proceed.

All the workers could do for now was measure his body armour and try to figure out how to perfectly replace them so he would be able to transform. Starscream grew drowsy watching, and understood why Predacons didn't seem to want to stay long. The scene was hardly engaging, and the group of Predacons here only remained for Starscream and Sunchaser's sake.

Eventually the golden Seeker hopped onto his feet and stretched up his thin body. "I guess it's boring here." He eagerly looked to the Predacons. "Do any of you want go play?"

Starscream flicked his eyes to them in curiosity. Already, the group of four perked up with smiles.

"Yeah!"

"What do you want to do?"

Sunchaser replied, "We can play _seek the Seeker_ , then _obstacles_!"

Sunchaser beamed at Starscream. "Come with us! I'll show you how nice Predacons can be. It can't be any good to sit around here with Rusty and Sourking. I promise you'll feel better."

Starscream looked over to Optimus, but he wasn't looking at him now. He supposed there was nothing preventing him from leaving the area if all he needed was one Seeker with him at all times. The clearing was tranquil with Predacons lazily resting in the sun, respectively out of everyone's way. Starscream became aware of the chirrups of Cybertronian songbirds, who flew in and rested on low roofs. They too noticed the lack of danger, and perched to fan out their wings.

"Okay," Starscream agreed. Part of him shone with excitement at the prospect of a game, that innocent part nurtured since he was Moonwing. And compared to the weight of darkness and lust for vengeance, this feeling inside was refreshingly lighter.

The Predacons transformed simultaneously. Starscream flinched as they doubled in size, rising up and revealing fangs, sharpened tails, and clawed feet. The friendly faces seemed to disappear, but since Sunchaser hadn't reacted, Starscream tried to look at little closer. There must be something there he was missing, something that he could learn to see.

Yes, they still had wide eyes of excitement, and the swaying of their tails and bodies revealed their energy. Sunchaser leapt at the neck of the longest Predacon with a laugh, dangling before swinging around and climbing on top. Starscream heard the Predacon gurgle a growl, but he thought carefully about the sound. If he was going to give them the benefit of the doubt, then he had to understand that the Predacon was only laughing in the only way it could.

Sunchaser flopped over top the Predacon's head, pulling his spikes and jostling his face from side-to-side. The Predacon opened his mouth of needle-teeth, but again Starscream tried to see him as this Seeker did. The gesture had no violent intention; it was just an expression of cheer.

"Sunchaser!" Air Raid hollered across the clearing. "Get your processor out of the clouds! You aren't paid to fool around!"

Barrel Roll laughed from the commander's side.

"It's alright, Sir!" The golden Seeker called back. "Just going on a patrol now!"

Sunchaser grinned down to Starscream, "Come up with me. Fangblade doesn't mind."

The Seeker draped himself across the length of Fangblade's neck like a yellow cat. Starscream hesitantly came near, looking back to see Predaking had looked back to the petrified Predacon. Starscream headed closer with that feeling of embarrassment that he usually felt when encountering new friends. Such was a good sign. He continued forward, then paused again.

 _What if I come across Skylynx or Darksteel out there?_ he thought suddenly. _Have I been lucky not to have seen them yet?_

He thought that they might not have the same self-control Predaking had, but then he decided, _They would have come by now if they were close enough to track my blood, like Predaking did, since I'm sure they know it. They must be far away and working right now._

Starscream came up to the Predacon and found that his metal felt the same as his own. The one called Fangblade sank down to make it easier for Starscream to scramble up over his brown and white body. Long ago, Starscream had ridden on Spade's back. He had been large and clawed, as a quadruped, but Starscream had not been scared then. The Predacon was larger, but Starscream saw how relaxed Sunchaser was. There seemed to be no danger still.

Starscream flattened himself and held onto the rocky vertebrae of the Predacon. Fangblade then trotted away at the head of the gang. Starscream turned his head just in time to catch sight of Predaking's astonished expression. For a moment, he wondered if Predaking would come charging after him. Yet he held onto the Predacon skipping down the paths, and they were not followed. Starscream pressed into the warm plates and thought that Optimus must have said enough. Most likely, he had stressed to Predaking that he was changed and trustworthy.

Guilt clenched him again.

 _I won't betray your trust,_ he promised. _I am going to think very carefully about any hateful thoughts I have from now to the future. I will make sure I never judge anyone again before I get to know more about them._

Sunschaser sprang off Fangblade and waited for Starscream to come stand beside him.

"We'll hide," he informed Starscream, then addressed the Predacons. "And you have to find us within a click's diameter. But you only have half a joor to find us, and we get a quarter to hide. Now shut your optics."

Sunchaser waited until they lay down and closed their eyes before he waved Starscream to follow him.

"I thought of some new places," he whispered. "And I have an idea! I'll let you have the best spot. They'll never find you."

They walked into a less populated area. Sunchaser wiped off the leftover smears of Starscream's leaks and blood, then rubbed them on the ground. A distraction. They doublebacked and took new pathways. Once they came to another fountain, the Seeker stopped them.

"Go hide behind the falling energon," he whispered. "There's a column. If you squeeze in, you'll fit behind the falls."

"Won't I dirty it?"

"You don't look so dirty, and Predacons can digest about anything anyway."

"Where will you be?" Starscream asked.

"I'm going to bury myself in some icky scrap," he laughed. "I'll be closeby."

When no Predacons were around, Sunchaser pushed Starscream forward. "Hurry! We're running out of time!"

Starscream splashed into the energon and wade through the fall. The cascading energon rushed over him, then he hit the middle where it was drier. He pressed down his wings all the way to keep them from cutting into the fall and spraying energon. And when he fully realized what he was doing, he had to hold in a laugh. He had just thought about poisoning all this, but now he was playing with the Newsparks like they were human children.

 _A substantial improvement._

Before he didn't imagine that Predacons liked games, but now it was the most obvious thing in the world. Waiting to be found, Starscream stayed rigid until his joints began to cramp up. He did not dare peek out, lest he be caught, or move in case a wingtip cut through the stream. Over the sound of crashing energon, he eventually heard a groaning growl. Though wordless, the sound was interpreted by Starscream.

 _I can't find them!_ The Predacon seemed to say.

There was a following chirp that Starscream also translated. _Come on._

Starscream heard them thunder away and thought, _They aren't just growling. They have emotions, and perhaps a sort of language based on tone and urgency._

He was learning so much now that he felt a shaky relief that he had changed his mind before acting upon anything. It was thanks to Sunchaser, the quippy Seeker that knew more than the other Seekers apparently did.

 _Maybe he isn't just fooling around. He's doing a better job of improving relations between our races than the others.._

"Moooonwiiiiiing!" The Seeker suddenly called.

Starscream emerged into the open, shaking off as much energon as he could before stepping onto dry metal. The Predacons had their beaks and muzzles dipped in defeat, and Sunchaser looked sticky but victorious. He was also waving at Starscream with a broken metal box in his hand.

Once Starscream had come closer, Sunchaser cheerfully cried, "Look, I found drugs while I was in there!"

The inside of the box had just the faintest smudge of something red. It hardly seemed like something that could accidentally be found.

 _So he was searching while also playing_ , Starscream realized. _He is no cloud-processor at all!_

Sunchaser bid him to take care of the find while he began a different game with the Predacons. Starscream sat on the fountain's edge, resting and watching the Predacons line up down the path. It became clear that the objective was for the Seeker to run past the last Predacon without getting grabbed. Starscream stared as Sunchaser broke into a fearless sprint, towards the orange Predacon postured and ready.

 _How can he dodge them without flying?_

The Predacon pounced and swung out his arms, already predicting that Sunchaser was going to duck. To his amazement, Starscream watched the Seeker blur out of the way, sliding under the Predacon. With that move, Starscream thought for sure it was over, that he would be squashed and overwhelmed with the claws of all four feet. But Sunchaser dove _closer_ to the claws just to kick off them, skidding out before he could be pinned. His wings were already spread out, ready for the somersault that carried him back onto his feet.

 _This isn't just a game. Sunchaser is training!_

Each Predacon took a turn to try to catch him, but Sunchaser would twist his way around their swipes. He escaped each one only by getting close to them, pushing or swinging off their bodies. Sunchaser was in the most danger there, but he had the most leverage. Starscream realized that without grabbing onto the attacking Predacons, the Seeker would only be stranded on bare metal.

As if by some magic trick, Sunchaser emerged on the other side of them. He was chirping for more rounds, and Starscream lay and watched Sunchaser dodge them again and again. Only once Sunchaser grew tired did they finally start catching him, slamming him to the ground under paws. Though he seemed able to take the rough play. Sunchaser was as hyper as ever, rolling when struck with wings and never scared to be under their claws. Finally, he came back to Starscream, huffing and taking back the broken box.

"Let's walk around now," Sunchaser said. "See if everything's all good."

But then after looking more closer at Starscream's face, he changed his mind.

"Maybe you should have a recharge," he said. "Let's go back first."

He led Starscream back to the Predacons. Fangblade let them climb back on top of him, then he marched them back to the clearing. Starscream slid off once they arrived, and he saw the workers still laboring while measuring every small piece of metal. Knockout looked back at him from afar. Beside Optimus and the Seekers, Predaking cast a glare in his direction. Though, it seemed Predaking was more relieved than angry that he had returned.

There were a few new Predacons hanging around. Sunchaser trotted over to one that was curled up and falling asleep in the shade. Starscream was struck by the beauty of this particular Predacon, who was coloured with white, blues, and purples both dark and soft. Even the claws were dipped in purple, indicating that the Predacon must have had work done to change itself.

"Hey, Windstorm!" Sunchaser called, then walked too far for Starscream to hear the rest. Soon enough though, the Predacon stood up on high legs like stalks. With a transformation, the Predacon's height cut in half, though was still twice Starscream's height when in front of him.

"Hi," she purred.

Starscream didn't know why the Seeker had brought over this Predacon, but he murmured, "Hello."

"I'm Windstorm." She gazed at him with calm, yellow eyes. "Who are you?"

"Moonwing," he whispered. Remembering his vile thoughts, he was especially embarrassed to encounter this raw kindness.

Windstorm smiled. "You fliers have the cutest names. They're always about flying and sky things. It is _very_ cute."

Starscream didn't know what to say and just stared back at Sunchaser.

"You should lay down with Windstorm," Sunchaser explained. "She has the biggest wings in the Valley after Predaking, and they're flexible and _so_ soft."

 _He's recommending recharging with the Predacon?_ Yet even as he thought it, Starscream wasn't scared. No, his nervousness had faded long ago. It was only that still Predacon in that clearing and Predaking that put shivers in his frame. These others hadn't done anything wrong, and they had scrunched up their faces in disgust at the thought of predation. They were civil, contrary to his previous beliefs.

"I'm going to talk to my commander now," Sunchaser said. "Just rest. You're safe, I promise, Moonwing. I nap with Windstorm whenever Air Raid isn't looking. She likes it too."

"Only with nice fliers like you." She rolled her eyes. "I hate associating with the older crew. Yesh, I don't even want to think of touching them or that kooky Seeker..."

"Skylight?" Sunchaser laughed.

"Yeah. She's also racist. Not sweet at all like you and your new friend."

Windstorm then transformed and seemed to look at Starscream with an amused twinkle in her eyes. As Sunchaser waved and trotted away with his tainted box, Windstorm stretched open one of her wings. Starscream tilted his head and gawked; it was as long of five of his own bodies stacked across. The claws on her wing held Starscream and lifted him. He went still, legs dangling before she folded her wing and tucked him in. Starscream lay with his body completely enveloped by the warm, flexible material. He couldn't remember feeling anything like this before, but he reckoned this is what Steve's cloth bracelet felt like.

It was soft, and even better than his chain blanket in Optimus's apartment.

He peeked over and saw the large eyes of the Predacon close in tranquility. On her side, Starscream too began to give in to his exhaustion. As his eyes began to droop, he noticed Predaking gazing at him in unmistakable bewilderedness.

 _I don't know how I got here either,_ he thought. _But it's nice. A lot better._

He contently curled his fingers over the edge of the silky wing. Starscream peered back over at Knockout, only to see the mound of rust shift slightly. They didn't stop working, but Knockout and the others paused for a moment in slight surprise. The ancient Predacon was stirring into semi-consciousness. No one seemed to be panicking or discussing it, so it seemed that this was to be allowed. Starscream watched as it bent its claws and awakened.

A green eye snapped wide with an intensity unlike anything Starscream had seen before. It was bright like an electric sign, but with a feral fierceness so different than any of the Predacon eyes Starscream had seen today. The eye was undamaged, full of life while the rest of its body lay in ruins. It flicked a yellowish iris around, narrowing it at the bipeds working on its body. The eye examined the Predacons both in beast forms and bot forms, and took in the sight of its own kind standing among the smaller race.

 _What does it think of us all?_

The Predacon didn't thrash, but a soft growl rumbled from deep within. It watched Starscream, snuggled in the wing of a sleeping Predacon, then focused heavily on Predaking. It certainly must have been surprised to see a Predacon in a bot form, never having had known it was capable of transformation as well. And Predaking now demonstrated the ability, changing into his massive draconic form and coming up to the lying Predacon. He crossed out in front of its face, growling reassuringly and lying down with it.

Starscream couldn't see its face anymore over the wings and back of Predaking. But he didn't feel he needed to. Somehow, seeing the Predacon for himself had changed his perspective. He naturally grieved for the victims, for Smokescreen, but coming here had conclusively been a great decision. If this Predacon could become as considerate, intelligent, and playful as these Predacons, then good for it.

What good would revenge do, if the Predacon never hurt anyone again? He heard Predaking purr a growl again, respectful and cheerful. In a way without true words, he was telling the ancient Predacon that the current situation with the mixed races was acceptable.

 _He's introducing him to our world,_ Starscream thought. _Despite what he did, he wants to change him. Give the Predacon another chance for a life among us…_

Starscream closed his eyes.

 _How can I hate the Predacon then, if I am no more of a monster than he is? No. I was much worse. In fact, I am one thousand times more unforgivable than he is, yet here I am. Optimus had led me to change for the better, just like Predaking will lead this Predacon._

And soon the Predacon's growls had softened, until it emitted no more.


	14. Chapter 13: The Sky and the Stars

A bot had blocked their path in a dark side street. The scene around them was strewn in shadows, and the bot stood within them while his three targets paused in the moonlight. There was hardly any hesitation after the move. Before a word had been said, Starscream flicked out his wrists. So swiftly and smoothly, silver flashed over Starscream's hands, clinging to his digits and bearing deadly curves. Shiloh's knife had manifested into his hand, and the two of them moved forward past Steve.

The bot's blue eyes widened at the knife and the finely sharpened claws. These were not easy pieces of prey as he had suspected. He turned and fled, leaving the small vehicon and Starscream to sheathe their weapons, grim-faced.

That had been the first time Starscream had needed to expose his claws in a serious situation. Knockout had permanently installed the claws ten days after he had travelled to Predacon Valley, and another week had passed before this need to use them. The plates of metal unhooked and folded on each other, slipping into the bracelet-like attachments below his wrists. And as they disappeared, Starscream was impressed and disturbed by how calm he had been.

 _Is that how_ Starscream _would have felt like?_ he asked himself.

He had heard that he had used to be cowardly, fighting if he had an advantage. Perhaps he had just had an advantage, but his spark had felt so steady. He had been ready to defend Steve alongside his determined friend Shiloh. Now, he checked Steve, making sure he wasn't still afraid.

 _No. I wasn't just ready to fight for me. I would have done anything to keep Steve unharmed._

Starscream remembered how wretched he had felt when he had been attacked in that alley. Shiloh had bleakly reported to him that the very same thing happened to vehicons all over Cybertron every week, possibly every day. So much so that it was often left unreported, and the vehicons dragged themselves away to get repaired. Like Starscream's long lost phone, the vehicons' property was never recovered, and their robbers were never found.

He couldn't bear the idea that Steve would lie like he had, bloody and half-conscious in a dirty alley. On another day, in the more relaxing warmth of afternoon sunlight, Starscream confessed this fear to Steve. He revealed his worry that Steve would die suddenly, like his other friends had when he believed he was Moonwing.

"I don't ever go anywhere dangerous alone!" Steve insisted. "But if you're so worried, then I promise I will be extra careful."

Then, the vehicon paused and felt warm. "I am touched that you worry about me too… Thank you."

"You shouldn't seem so surprised." Starscream smiled and strode around him. "How could I not feel some concern for one of the only to mourn my fabled death?"

Steve turned his head to follow him. "I wasn't sure how much you would feel for a vehicon like me, after seeing hundreds who look just like me die."

"In the past, I wouldn't have minded. But now each vehicon death has the same weight as one common Cybertronian's. I don't remember many dead vehicons, but now I feel…" Starscream then mused. "Why do I feel so protective toward all my friends, when I never did to anyone before? How could I have it in me to be so selfish and cold, then suddenly be so attached to you, and for the sake of a recent example, Smokescreen?"

Steve was his favourite to divulge his feelings and questions to, but Knockout's simply honest remarks were rising up in worth. This vehicon knew more about him than he did himself however, especially since Starscream was painfully slow at remembering anything. If he needed answers about himself that weren't tainted with Autobot bias, Steve was the one who provided.

"What do you mean?" Steve prompted him.

Starscream threw up his hands. "Why didn't I see any of this before? It seems so obvious now to appreciate others. And yet I was completely self-absorbed and selfish before."

Steve explained, "Well, it's like we are a part of you… What I mean is that the way you used to fiercely defend yourself has extended to us. You are still an extremist. B-but not that it is bad! Just that when you saw Smokescreen's scratch, you were as personally enraged if you yourself had been hurt. During the war, if someone crossed you, insulted you, you would get rid of them if they posed a continuous threat to you."

"Hmm…"

"So you reacted like you always do, but then you were changed enough to see that you were wrong about the Predacons," Steve continued. "That's how I see it. And I don't think it is bad at all. Even if you are extreme, you want to protect more than just yourself now."

Starscream tossed up a shoulder. "I have to watch my extremism though. It would be best to be as rational as I can before I let unrestricted emotions affect others."

"I believe you are capable."

"I think I am capable of many things," Starscream stated. "I know I don't want to hurt anyone, but if my visit to Predacon Valley has proven anything, it is that I _am_ still willing to hurt and kill others. And feel nothing for them. The cold part of me still exists for those not within my circle. My hope to combat my innate apathy is to push as many as I can into that circle. When I befriended some Predacons that day, their race changed for me. I can feel for them now when I couldn't before."

"I don't think you have natural apathy. It's maybe just a reaction caused by other powerful emotions," Steve assured him. "But, you're trying so actively to be good. You should be proud of yourself."

"I'm not exactly proud that I even have to deal with this at all." Starscream's eyebrows furrowed and his eyes dropped.

"It isn't so different from how anyone feels!" Steve exclaimed, troubled now to see Starscream unhappy in the slightest. "Optimus lost compassion in the moments he saw Megatron do something awful, like nearly killing Bumblebee on Earth, or… any battle with him, really. Any Autobot is like that! You're just very, very expressive. You feel everything more strongly than any other bot."

Starscream looked at him, unsure but on the verge of relief.

"That is why I know you are special," Steve murmured, dropping his voice in embarrassment.

"I'm sure the Decepticons in my past would have only said 'dramatic' to describe me," Starscream smirked, humoured. "Or rather, 'over the top'. Not _special_."

But Starscream felt a lot better, as he always did after a chat and a walk with the vehicon. Places like the scenic planes of the Sonic Canyons were perfect for open talks of his true identity, so more often, Starscream had brought Steve here when he wanted some substantial time alone. For other activities, Iacon was more ideal.

"Here is perfect," Starscream decided suddenly.

"What?"

"I want to try transforming." Starscream looked at him with a gleaming gaze. "I'm healed now, and I was trying to build up the courage to try again. I remember how much it hurt, but I think I can do it with you here."

"Do you think you can do it already?" Steve sounded more nervous than joyful. "Don't hurt yourself if you aren't ready."

"Knockout said that if I just go for it, I should be able to transform. I am ready, though I don't expect to get it on the first try." Starscream passed his new phone into Steve's hands.

Steve looked stiff, bracing himself to watch him through his pain. After stalking off a few steps to make room, Starscream stood, gathering inspiring thoughts.

 _Think of how much you miss the sky._

He imagined the feeling of wind, breaking through clouds, or being so high that nothing but the sun rested above him. He wanted to have it all again. Surging upwards, Starscream leapt and spread his wings, letting them flip into position. His innards began to scream, but he tried to command his chest to unfold along with his limbs. That was when the sharp, white sting returned and stabbed his insides. Blinded by it, he gasped and crashed to the ground, his body clicking back into place.

Steve rushed over, but Starscream was already pulling himself up to his feet.

"Are you okay?" he gasped.

"Yes," Starscream murmured back, but wondered if the pain could disappear soon enough for another attempt.

The vehicon moved back to give him space, but fidgeted at the side. Starscream straightened himself and tried to find that determination again, but the throbbing that remained was distracting. When he launched himself into the air, this next attempt was less successful than the last.

"Maybe not today," Steve eased him. "You don't need to rush. You have half the stellar cycle before training starts."

"I just need a break," he argued. "I felt close the first time…"

Starscream sat and let the minutes pass. The vehicon could hardly manage the wait, and when Starscream sprang up again for a third time, he too jumped to his feet.

 _I don't want to be attached to this land anymore_ , Starscream told himself with gritted teeth. _I'm meant to be up there, in the open space…._

The pain was nearly gone. Starscream threw himself into another jump, feeling his wings moving out as they did before. Steve was watching, so Starscream desperately wanted to complete his transformation with him there. He thought that he mustn't give up, to be prepared for the coming sting. Yet when it came, his body shut down again. Starscream dropped down with a yelp of surprise and despair. His body locked back into its bipedal form, and he curled his fingers into fists in disbelief.

"I thought I would have it there!" he bemoaned.

"Don't push yourself more," Steve pleaded. "I hate watching you in pain."

Starscream felt a twinge of guilt. He shouldn't have forced Steve to watch even if it made him more determined. Trying not to limp, he walked up to Steve to assure him.

"Don't worry," Starscream said. "It isn't so bad if I am choosing to continue, right? Much worse was happened to me on the Decepticon warship."

Steve went silent, staring at him. It was impossible to place his emotions since vehicons could not move their faces, and his body was too still for Starscream to read as well.

"I think I need more of a push," Starscream continued, turning to look around them. In the Sonic Canyons, there were plenty of seemingly bottomless pits among the plains where rumbling sounds emerged.

As Starscream paused to face one, Steve immediately caught on. He held onto Starscream's wrist and uttered, "Don't do it."

"I will be fine." Starscream glanced back. "I'll have no choice but to transform."

"But what if you fail again and strike the bottom? If you don't do it right, you will die!"

Starscream loosened himself from the vehicon's grip. "Of course I won't die. I'm a survivor, aren't I? You've told me that, and _I_ know how much I love living. I will transform."

In the next moment, Starscream was pelting off toward the hole. Steve cried out and raced after him. An energy suddenly engulfed Starscream, carrying him on ahead of Steve. Watching him gain some distance, the despairing vehicon felt that his feet were so heavy and slow. _When did he get so fast?_ he wondered. As he trailed behind however, he untied his cloth and threw it with the phone inside him as he transformed.

Speeding on all four wheels, he soon overtook Starscream and skidded around his front. Seeing and hearing him, Starscream grimaced and attempted to leap over the sweeping vehicle. The vehicon was already transforming, however. As Starscream jumped, Steve reached up his arms and wrapped them around his legs, tackling him in the air. Smacked to the ground, Starscream gagged before the vehicon climbed over him.

Starscream twisted his head back, glaring at Steve and yelling, "Let me do this, Steve! I know I will be okay!"

"I know you wanted me to support you," he gasped, "But if I did nothing to stop you from hurling yourself to your death-"

Starscream pushed up and at an angle so suddenly that it jerked the vehicon off. But instead of dashing on ahead, Starscream knelt by the dislodged vehicon.

"I promise that I won't die," he murmured. "I have so much to live for, and thinking about that is going to make me save myself."

Steve sat up, but his face still could not portray his feelings. Yet Starscream could sense the stress and sorrow within him. He quickly hugged the vehicon before hurdling forward toward the edge. The friend that he left behind still sat in conflict, watching Starscream tear towards the drop. Then when the edge came close, Steve jolted to his feet and raced after him.

"No, wait! This is suicide! You can try again another day, just please-"

Starscream launched himself over the edge without hesitation. He had heard the vehicon's shouts, and as he descended into the dark tunnel, he heard Steve's shriek.

" _Starscream_!"

He shook as dropped, rapidly accelerating through the open air. The circle of light behind him grew smaller, and the darkness, denser. The air rushed past his downward-facing head, and the rumbles of the underworld grew louder the lower he fell.

 _Of course I can't die now_ , he thought. _I will come back for you, for everyone… There is still much for me to do!_

Once again, he parted his wings. He waited for the coming pain.

 _So then, I must fly._

The noises drowned out his caterwaul of pain, so the vehicon at the hole's edge could not hear or see what had become of Starscream. Steve was gripping the edge tightly and bent over the hole. It was taking so long. He shook with his spark, waiting for Starscream's return.

Something moved. There was hardly any time to confirm the movement before an earth-like jet shrieked past his face, buffeting him with wind and knocking him back. Black and silver flashed in his vision, then it was gone. Steve was pressed against the ground, staring high up at Starscream's form growing smaller against the cloudless sky. He became a speck, only distinguishable as his blackness contrasted the brightness of the cloudless sky. The black seed sped away as through intending to leave the area, but then the shape turned, circling back.

The ground was so far, but there was not a speck of fear within Starscream. After more than a year of being stuck to the surface, the speed he had reached now excited him to the core. Indeed, it hurt to push himself, but he couldn't resist it with his body singing in joy to feel the cold, the wind, and the sun over his wings. He flew so high that he could no longer see Steve plastered to the ground in awe. The holes in the ground shrunk, and the world opened up and stretched its horizons.

He swooped down, his insides curling in pleasure at the feeling. The nosedives of incredible speeds were far from frightening, but more fun than he could remember. He appreciated flight in a way he thought he might never have before. Could anything trump this joy? Starscream had never felt so liberated, where he could go where he wanted to not only because he could fly, but because he had this new identity that permitted him.

After another minute of looping and rolling, Starscream careened back towards Steve. His sharp turns ripped the air with noise. Thunderstruck, Steve gazed in stellar awe to watch him returning. Then the jet dove, tip pointed down and plummeting. Steve wrung his hands and jumped up to his feet. Yet Starscream levelled out, reducing his speed. He dropped lower, until he was flying parallel and close to the ground.

With complete control, Starscream transformed and landed neatly on his feet metres away from Steve. His eyes sparkled with thrill, and he trotted up to Steve. His mouth opened to release his words of rapture, but then the vehicon promptly drove into him with such ferocity that Starscream was nearly knocked off his feet. At first he thought that Steve was as ecstatic as he was, but then realized it was this paired with grief.

Starscream felt a calm settle in him. He held the back of the vehicon's head and breathed, "I'm sorry. But of course I was going to come back. I like being alive too, you know."

"Why do you always jump like that?" Steve moaned, but with an increasingly lighthearted tone. "Head-first, off tall things, transforming at the last second…"

"Is that what I always do?" Starscream flicked one of Steve's heavy wheels to spin it. "It just felt natural. Guess I am just used to being a show-off."

Steve loosened his death-grip slightly. "You're insane."

"You're the one with some screws loose. You just screamed my real name aloud."

Steve bent his legs. "Oh… I didn't realize that I yelled it..."

"It's fine. I expected as much, so here was the best spot to frighten you." Starscream then perked up and raised his voice into an excited cry. "But I've done it! I can fly!"

"Yes!" Steve gasped. "You can! Oh, and you were so amazing!"

"Yes, at long last," he sighed. "It's so great to be so high, looking down at everything with the wind over my wings…"

Steve could hear his ecstatic pulse through his chest as Starscream spoke in his nostalgia. He chuckled, "Do you want to go again?"

Starscream hopped away, nodding fervently and stamping his feet. He could hardly contain himself at the idea that he could do this whenever he wanted. Although it still hurt, the pain seemed to be diminishing even if it was only his joy causing this. He did not cry out this time when he jumped and transformed. Starscream sent himself shrieking back to the open sky, spark soaring to see everything so small, feeling small himself, and knowing that there were so many places he could go.

Steve watched Starscream fly for half an hour around the area, gazing back when he vanished at impossible heights, then when he zipped by low, passing just metres above the ground. He could not be bored when he felt the happiness within Starscream now. The vehicon lay and watched him play in the sky, until finally, Starscream transformed and plopped back onto his feet. His face was drooped like his wings in exhaustion, but he still looked blown back from his fun. Dragging his feet, he came up beside Steve and flopped down onto his stomach.

"You flew for so long," Steve breathed with incredulity.

"It took a toll on me, but I didn't ever want to stop," Starscream chuckled and stretched out his legs and arms. "Oh, that was such fun! Although, everything hurts now, and I'm going to crash when I get home. I predict a long recharge in my future."

"You have so much endurance," Steve said. "You will certainly be ready for the next semester. Are you going to apply now?"

Starscream rolled over. "I should. It will motivate me even more to be active and to study if they accept me."

"If? You mean when. Of course they will accept you! It's just me that they might not accept."

"But I'm sure the higher-ups of the Seekers know about me. Hm. Do you think they will hesitate? Surely, they will be worried that I will move up and get more power."

"Optimus will convince them to let you in. He knows how hard you've been working, and he trusts you." Steve pointed at his claws. "You said he didn't mind those at all!"

"I simply cannot understand what makes him trust me so much. Either he is poor at judging others, or more adept at it than I can imagine."

"They've been watching you for so long," Steve reminded him. "It's obvious that you can be trusted."

"Even with these?" Starscream threw up one hand and let the claws extend to the sky. "Even when I hang out with Decepticons, and even after I disappeared into a dead zone that one time?"

"Neither of us are Decepticons anymore," he pointed out. "And they surely know why you went into the dead zone. The vehicon club isn't any major secret. Regardless, you are so popular and friendly. You never take a break from visiting friends, working, exercising, and studying. You spend plenty of time studying with Optimus too. He must like you by now, don't you think?"

"I _know_ he does. He is so nice to me, but I can't understand why! I mean, I've murdered and tortured so many…" Starscream shivered. "I'm unforgivable. Those Seekers will certainly think so, so even if I get in, they will think about how evil I was…"

"Evil? You were never evil!" Steve protested.

Starscream snorted. "You're just biased, Steve."

"I don't just support you without reason!" The vehicon put a fist into his palm, lowering his voice into a serious tone that was unfamiliar to Starscream. It caused Starscream to sit up properly, looking at Steve in surprise. He seemed ready to argue, and fiercely.

Steve went on. "Of course I'm not sure why I started caring about you, but I have given it all a lot of thought since then. I wouldn't just harbor blind feelings. I know you are forgivable, because you are not evil. Many, many Decepticons were not evil."

Starscream wrinkled his brows.

"I know this is dependent on my definition," he went on. "But I think it is a sound one. Don't you think someone should only be called evil if they have no reason to bring upon pain, if there is no force making them do it? If they only have themselves to blame? And the only way to stop the evil acts is to kill them?"

"How am I not evil then?" Starscream muttered. "I was never a part of the oppressed, lower classes. I've heard what they say about me. Autobots write me off as the one who had everything, and still wanted more power."

"And the Autobots speak poorly of all the prominent Decepticons. Of course they would, since it is easy to vilify the losing team. But listen to me. You aren't evil to me, just like all those Decepticons on Earth in the very end of the War. None of us were evil, same with Megatron, Soundwave, Knockout, Breakdown, Dreadwing, or even Shockwave! Well, I cannot speak for Airachnid, but I don't know her past."

Steve waved her off.

"But Megatron was a slave, living a life of cruelty because of the caste system. He lived for so long knowing that no one cared if he died. He was nameless." Steve pointed at his chest firmly. "He was like _us_ , but had it worse! Bots watched him and those like him fight to the death for entertainment. His kind died without ever knowing love. The old world shaped Megatron like it shaped the Decepticon army out of slaves who could have been individuals."

Starscream thought back to one of the few, detailed memories he had of Megatron beating him. Nevertheless, Steve's words enthralled him.

"And how could anyone blame Soundwave after seeing his trial? He is feared and despised by Autobots, but you know, the vehicons saw his memories and _felt_ something. Soundwave was fighting for these oppressed and tragically torn bots. But not just that. He was serving Megatron, listening to him because he was his truest friend. Soundwave loved only very few, but he was fiercely attached to Megatron. He followed his body to the ocean floor of Earth. He searched for Megatron when he returned. And because he was so loyal to his friend, he regrets nothing. And when bots regret nothing, it doesn't matter what else they feel. That's why they threw him into prison."

Starscream's eyes slid to the ground. He was stunned with emotion, but also caught thinking of Slipstream. She had been so loyal to her fellow Seekers that she had come to the same fate.

"Knockout and Breakdown were misguided, but their sparks were open! Knockout wasn't ruthless, and no matter how Breakdown seemed, he was kind. He cared about vehicons! He talked to us, asked we how we were… They weren't greedy or sadistic. Breakdown would have made a fine Autobot too. Rest his spark."

Starscream had a vague image of a large, blue Decepticon in his mind. He seemed but a brute, yet something else seemed gentle about him. Starscream nodded slowly.

"Dreadwing was honorable! He fought for the cause he believed in, the one that was outraged by the caste system. He was a bot of his word, and he could be changed. He was close to being an Autobot too. There was no need to kill him; it is sad that he perished before developing himself fully.

"Shockwave is difficult to understand or explain. I don't know much about him, but I know he has feelings he would not admit. There is a reason Predaking remembers him fondly. Shockwave cared about his creations in a sort of paternal way. They call him emotionless, cold, and only focused on knowledge. But I saw him consoling Predaking before he knew he could transform, crouching and stroking him. I think that Shockwave could find it in himself too to change. I don't want anyone to hurt him either."

Starscream waited in apprehension. And after all these long explanations, he burst out, "What is my reason? I was greedy and sparkless. I was a high caste member. I had everything, I was-"

"No."

Starscream shut his mouth.

"The caste system dictated the roles of the world, crushing individuality. From the moment you were forged, your fate as chosen. As a flier, they tossed you into the military. Of course you were raised to think so highly of being a Seeker. They told you how honourable it was, so that you would be complacent. And you were so talented, and they rewarded the skillful like you. Don't you understand, Starscream? You still feel as though a Seeker is all you can be. And it is fine if it is what you want to be, but you had no choice before whereas you do now. They encouraged your pride, your supremacist attitudes. They let you be vain and famous, since you were so useful to them that way."

"I should have known better," Starscream uttered. "So many bots still cared about the lower castes, but _I_ didn't."

"Your job was your life," Steve stressed. "They entrusted you with a secret of Cybertron, to the Seekers. You guarded dark energon and concealed the experiments on it. You felt so important there, and also when you were tasked with being a royal bodyguard! Don't you know that you guarded our last Prime? Sentinel Prime? The lower castes were none of your concern."

Starscream raised a brow. "I used to guard a Prime?"

"You were so important and known. They stroked your ego, praising you. Everyone said you were the fastest, the most agile, so cunning…"

"I wish I had just stopped to think. I should take some responsibility for not doing so."

Steve paused, knowing that it would be hard to shake Starscream of his shame. He murmured, "But you aren't evil. Please just understand that, even if the others don't. You've been so open-minded since your new beginning. It is a sign that you are forgivable, since you so readily accepted others. You care about simple vehicons like me. With your claws, you would protect me."

"You're not simple. And I can't imagine not doing whatever I could to protect others."

"That's why Optimus trusts you. He knows that."

"Do you think he has thought of everything that you have?" Starscream asked.

"Maybe not. But he knows your spark is in the right place now."

Starscream once again felt so eased, glad that he had this chance to listen to Steve in private. As he relaxed, he remembered the warmth under the sun and felt sleepy. Contented, he blinked lazily and murmured, "I guess everything will be alright."

"It will be."

"Thanks again for the talk, Steve."

"Anything for you."

Steve staying sitting while Starscream lay down onto his side. After a minute passed in peaceful silence, Steve looked down at Starscream's thin and curved body. His hands were relaxed, fingers loosely bent, and his face was mellow.

"Are you going to recharge right now?" he chuckled.

Starscream rubbed his face and sat up. "You're right. I might as well go home. If I rest now, I can wake up when Optimus comes back. I've been meaning to read more of this ethics textbook with him. It's in the curriculum at Fort Scyk."

"You do this, and still wonder why Optimus trusts you."

Starscream rolled his eyes. "It seemed that they would always be so strict after I found out that I was Starscream, but they've really eased off lately. He's behind it, no doubt. It's haunting in the way he is so accepting."

When Starscream tried to get to his feet, his legs buckled. He dropped to his knees and fell forward, catching himself up on his hands. Steve bent down and scooped his chest, helping Starscream up. Trying to carry his own weight now left him with a terrible tremble. Starscream leaned into the vehicon, walking step-by-step against him back to the nearest warp station. The going was slow, but the weather and world was calm, the soft breeze carrying stray butterflies or other small, flying creatures. Both were content to move along in silence, looking around at the new world.

Steve took him back towards the Iacon Square, but there, the Elite Guards stopped Steve from getting too close to the High Tower. Then, Steve was replaced by a helpful Guard who would take Starscream upstairs. After saying a farewell to Steve and receiving back his phone, the two went their separate ways once again. The vehicon returned home to the city of gambling and alcohol, where Starscream would always worry for him. And Starscream, he found himself high up in the quiet of one of the most protected areas on Cybertron.

Starscream glimpsed the back part of Smokescreen's leg vanishing into his room. The door closed too fast for him to call out to him, though he already knew he was recovered. All he would have said was his own news. Smokescreen should have been glad to hear that he could fly again. But now, Starscream merely headed into Optimus' home and beelined to the berth.

First, he set his phone down with his old presents. After that, he turned his back to the sunlight beaming into the room and lay down. He covered himself with the chain mesh, then he waited for Optimus.

* * *

When Optimus returned home, he closed the door and saw Starscream. He was curled up in the open, partially wrapped in the blanket and softly clinging to the balled-up end of it. For a while now, this is how Optimus had always found him resting. The nightmares had subsided, and Starscream was always gently snuggled into the warm chains.

Starscream creaked open his eyes and tried to sit up. Though his silver gaze gleamed with innocent excitement, he eyes were already falling closed.

"Optimus!" he gasped.

He slipped back onto his side in the tangle of chains. Optimus headed over, easing him from trying to push himself too hard.

"Rest if you need to. You can speak to me later in you wish."

"Oh, but it's important..." Starscream drifted off. "I flew today… It was so…."

His fingers curled around the blanket again and he collapsed. His eyes fluttered when Optimus rumbled, "Congratulations on your success. You have been working hard to achieve this goal for so long."

Starscream fell still again with a smile on his face. He so desperately needed this rest after his exhausting flight. So, unable to force himself awake, he slept through the time he had wanted to study. It was late in the night when he woke with stiffness tapping his frame. He stretched and faced the television playing the news. It was currently showing off the newly built areas of Cybertron again, and advertising a need for more workers.

When Starscream saw Optimus in a chair, he perked up and now spoke clearly. "Yes!" he continued. "I flew around the Sonic Canyons today. I think that I am ready to apply to Fort Scyk and train myself until then!"

It was clear to both of them what he intended to do there. It went without saying.

"Then I will help you with your application."

"Now?" Starscream gasped. "I mean, could we do it right now?"

His unbridled joy was as sweet as Moonwing's had ever been. Starscream didn't realize this, but Optimus was warmed and calmed by his enthusiasm. It was everything he had hoped for in bringing the former injured Decepticon into the Autobot world. His decision with Ratchet had left Starscream with his T-cog, and now he had this chance of redemption.

"We can," Optimus smiled lightly.

Starscream bounded over to him, swirling and fidgeting as Optimus went to the computer. At the sight of the application form, Starscream wiggled in between his spread arms and blinked quickly at the screen. As Optimus was much taller and broader than he was, Starscream could fit into the space and watch. When prompted to, Starscream filled out his basic information himself with a jubilant vibrating.

Typing with a bounce, Starscream chirped, "You will warn them beforehand, won't you?"

"Yes. I will guarantee that you will be accepted and well accommodated."

"Could you please tell whoever is in charge to do the same for my vehicon friend?" Starscream continued. "Steve. He wants to be a police officer."

"I can also have this done, though there is nothing preventing vehicons from attending this academy or any other educational institution."

"I was just worried, since there is so much discrimination against them… and others too. Like Predacons."

Interested by the last comment in particular, Optimus flicked his eyes down at his head. Predaking had been difficult to speak to about Starscream. He, like Ratchet, believed that Starscream was cruel and manipulating by nature. Speaking to Predaking on just the topic of Starscream made the Predacon ruler seethe. He always had to speak about Darksteel and Skylynx and Starscream's racist attitudes.

"What makes you bring up the Predacons?"

Starscream flinched to have been called out. He felt a flush of shame as though Optimus had read his thoughts, knowing what he had thought of doing before.

"I was just thinking about them a lot more," Starscream stammered. "The news has always been showing their rallies where they complain… and the backlash to the Predacon protests has been worse since the attack. And despite how they didn't have anything to do with it, they are getting the blame."

"You have made a wise observation."

"I-it isn't wise." Starscream felt even worse for how he had behaved before. "It should be obvious."

"For many, it is easy to create enemies of groups instead of singling out the individuals who truly trouble them."

Starscream nodded dumbly, spark crumbling. As he stared at his nearly filled out form, he swelled up with the promise that once he became a Seeker again, he would listen to that statement and never blame more than the wrongdoers.

Optimus watched him fill out the personal response questions. After this, he asked Starscream, "What are your feelings about the ancient Predacon?"

Starscream's black hands settled at the side of the touchpad.

"The White Dragon…" he murmured.

Just days ago, the world had been on fire with the videos recorded in Predacon Valley. Knockout and the others had long since repaired the Predacon with her new colouring. The Predacon was now _gorgeous_ , according to Knockout. She was a gleaming silver-white that was so light and well polished that she shimmered with the colours of any light source. First, the clips showed the white Predacon stalking through the village, glancing left-to-right as Predaking spoke in his bot form and pointed around them. And in the clips with Predaking in his beast mode, it became obvious that the recovered Predacon was powerful.

She was very nearly the size of Predaking, with a broad chest like him but slightly thinner. Together with her sturdy and long legs, she was larger than all the other Predacons in the Valley. Only her wings were much shorter than Predaking's, which were remarkably massive regardless. Her focused, green eyes, however, intimidated the world's citizens just as much as her size.

 _Savage_ , she had been called. _Predatory_. No one seemed to believe that she would adapt to the new society. The media had been influenced by the trendiness of Earth cinema. She had been dubbed "the White Dragon" ever since she had been shown cured of her rust. Starscream remembered the reporters who had pointed at frozen images of her, crying out that the White Dragon would sneak off, dragging off bipeds in the dark to consume.

The uproar had been loud, unchanging even after she transformed. Her eyes still had a deep sharpness, and even with a face like their own, many wondered if she was using that face to deceive them. When she spoke in broken Cybertronian, they were suspicious that she already knew the language fairly well. They said she must have learned it over time to better hunt bipeds, to learn their hiding spots and tricks.

 _She is an evil beast!_ They warned each other. _She cannot be trusted!_

"I believe she can change," Starscream responded after a brief pause. "She reminds me of myself."

"What compelled you to make this comparison?" Optimus's interest was evident in his tone.

Starscream said, "We've both awakened into the new world with another chance at life. She has Predaking to guide her like I have you. Since we can communicate with her and provide her with energon, she won't have any need to be violent. I do not need do harm anyone either to directly achieve my goals. The most unfortunate difference is that everyone knows her past whereas I am still unknown. But the way they treat her… I feel that it is how they would react if they found out who I was."

 _They would treat me worse, actually_ , Starscream thought.

"It pleases me to hear that you have sympathies with the Predacon," Optimus told him. "I assume that you know what your past was with Predacons."

Starscream knew he was referring to how he had panicked by Predaking. He sighed, "Partially. I know how I treated them, and I remembered being chased by Predaking, Skylynx, and Darksteel. I think they intended to kill me. So when I saw Predaking, I was frightened. I don't want to react this way to other Predacons, though I would have reacted the same had I happened to see Skylynx and Darksteel."

Optimus widened his eyes. Starscream was not yet aware that he had killed the two Predacons, and therefore did not fully understand Predaking's rage against him. He kept silent, deciding that Starscream would be stressed if he knew the truth.

He wanted Starscream to be happy for the current moment, instead of being wretched by the guilt of his past. Too many questions were being asked, and Starscream had paused his cheerful shaking and his typing.

"You have grown," Optimus said. "I did my best to explain your positive development to Predaking, regarding your hard work and openness to all the races of Cybertron."

Starscream closed his eyes. _You have so much confidence in me. Do I really deserve it?_

Optimus went on, "It was difficult for him to understand, but hopefully, he will one day. Once you have became a Seeker of high rank, known across Cybertron for your keen insight."

Starscream flashed open his eyes and quivered again in glee.

 _That's right! I can make my name through noble and brave actions. I can be known for being sensitive to issues, fair to all… Then it won't be just Predaking, Darksteel, and Skylynx that I will convince! All the Autobots up here will trust me like Optimus does. I will make the image of myself forever change in their optics._

 _Once I become a Seeker again, this world will know Moonwing. And some of them, they will know what I, Starscream, have done!_


	15. Chapter 14: Stepping onto the Path

Starscream had never been so focused in his new life. He was caught in so many activities that he rushed to each one flying. He worked and stockpiled his money, but he had also tried adding volunteer work in construction. Starscream went over to whatever site Bulkhead was leading a crew, demanding that he not be paid since he would only be carrying items around. He had only wanted to increase his strength while being helpful. Eventually though, he was sent to work on the tops of buildings and also given a regular pay.

So while Starscream balanced two jobs, he attended the same clubs as Shiloh. The vehicon participated in sword fighting and dance, and he was incredibly talented. Starscream thought he too could benefit from the clubs, so he joined them once he had heard enough.

At first, Starscream felt so awkward to wave around a sword. His body was not already familiar with this kind of weapon, but that made Starscream more determined to learn this new skill. He could keep up this positivity as well, since his teacher was a kind and patient bot. Firestar, an Autobot warrior of the War, taught all her students fairly, even the vehicon, so Starscream was willing to continue training.

She was also the teacher of their dance club, and she was the reason Shiloh had taken it up. It was rare for anyone to want to teach a vehicon, so he took what he could and enjoyed improving his balance. He could hone his skills of sword fighting there. And for Starscream- he had been able to walk and run for a while now, but he had not yet trained himself to deal with quick and minuscule movements. He needed to cure his trembling, but until then, Starscream was constantly falling on his face in both of Firestar's classes.

Firestar knew of his body's weakness since the start. She always assured him with positive lines.

"Don't worry, Moonwing," she might say. "You will become more steady with time."

"Yes," he agreed with breathless smiles. "I will just keep working on it."

In one particular instance in the dance club, Starscream had been trying to lean forward and extend a leg out. Such a move was hard for him in the start, so he had fallen. A lithe Autobot, an upper-beginner, had snorted, "You can't even do something as simple as that?"

Firestar had manifested, marching in between them and posturing herself in front of the one who had thrown out the insult.

"Why are you looking at him, when you could be practicing your double-spin kick?"

"The d-double-spin?" the bot had stammered. "I've never tried it."

"I'm sure you can do it. Try it and show me what you can do."

Starscream stood and observed the embarrassment crossing over the bot's face. The bot tried to do as told, but failed to complete the spins. His kick stuttered and he nearly slipped upon landing.

"It was fine, for your first try," Firestar told him steadily. Then, after giving him another tip, she added, "Now imagine how you would feel if I had laughed at you, since this move is so simple for me. Some things may seem easy after practice, but for Moonwing, his move is as new and hard for him as this is for you. His body is damaged, and he has never tried something so challenging before."

The bot's face flooded with guilt from his ignorance. Immediately, he apologized to Starscream. Impressed by Firestar's lesson, Starscream was glad that words had changed the bot's attitude. Without meaning to, she had shown him a way to change someone, so that there was no need for permanent hatred. No need for revenge.

She repeated this tactic with anyone who bothered Starscream or Shiloh. Life felt much lighter for Starscream when mindsets could be changed, and he didn't have to loathe everyone in his surroundings. He could come to the clubs happily, where training was peaceful and rewarding. Starscream could concentrate, allowing him rapid improvements in the months that came.

Both Shiloh and Firestar noticed how much better he could control his body's movements. Less and less, his limbs stopped feeling like stiff rods, and he could be fluid.

"You're naturally agile," his instructor had pointed out. "You chose the activities best suited for you, and it's coming out now as you heal. You're light on your feet and glide through the movements better than many who have been training for a while."

Starscream became obsessed with improving his agility, believing that training on top of his natural skill would make him _better_ than his past. To achieve this, he tried other activities to expose his body to different movements. Now, whenever he saw advertisements for trials at other clubs, he popped in for anything from archery, gymnastics, or lobbing. And he didn't go alone. Starscream was hardly ever alone no matter what the time in these months, so it was natural to ask several friends to come with him.

 _Knowing a bit of many things might help me in the future_ , he decided. He even convinced the others of this point.

It was even his reason for studying the minor languages of Cybertron. He thought that even basics could go a long way. Starscream had already been quickly picking up the standard sign language and code language that was necessary for the military. Since he had learned them before, he needed only to glance over a word to recover his memory of it. However, as immigrants came and surviving old culture groups of Cybertron returned, new languages appeared. They took more effort to learn. Fortunately, he was becoming proficient in at least one of them. Thanks to his Cyclonian friends, Starscream could blabber in the most detested language on the planet.

Out of all his studies though, the readings he did beforehand for school were the most important. Starscream had the laws memorized thoroughly, and thanks to Optimus' insider information, Starscream had learned what students were required to know. Whenever he had spare time at home, he spent it deeply studying the mandatory subjects.

Since he was brought to exhaustion every day and always slept, Starscream knew that once his real training started, his unusual sleeping requirements would snatch away study time. It was the reason he chose to study now.

 _Classes are long, numerous, and some happen in the night._ Starscream always remembered with a mental sigh. No one ever forced him to work at night, so he always had enough time to recover after full days. That was about to change.

He had been preparing for school even before he and then Steve had gotten their acceptance messages. He had expected it, though he was still ecstatic with Steve when it happened. At some point or another, Starscream had personally told all his friends.

The vehicons had been some of the first to know where he was going. And eventually, after a dance class with Shiloh, the miner vehicon had asked him a sudden question about it.

"It wasn't hard for Steve to get in, was it?"

"No, it wasn't at all," Starscream replied.

"Is it too late to apply to Fort Scyk?"

Starscream widened his eyes. "No, it isn't. Why do you ask?"

Shiloh then answered, "I feel really good about my training. Firestar says I am more than good enough to become an Elite Guard, and I would love to be the first vehicon one."

The weight of his goal struck Starscream's spark. His determination inspired his own. "Then do it," Starscream said. "Why not come with us?"

"Alright then. I'm coming with you."

And very soon after, just days later, Starscream was meant to meet Steve. There, Steve had introduced a jet vehicon to Starscream. He was coloured a glossy black, and Steve reported, "This is Valor. I just found out that he has also applied to Fort Scyk, and he's already been accepted."

Starscream addressed him in formal speech. "I look forward to studying with you."

The vehicon nodded politely. When he spoke, he had the smoothest and calmest voice of any vehicon Starscream had ever heard. He replied, "I was worried that I would be alone, but I am relieved that other vehicons also want to train."

"True to your name, you are brave to face ridicule and break stereotypes." Starscream then paused to look him over carefully. "Have I met you before? At Carnation's?"

Starscream had lately been working on his flying endurance with Carnation and other flying vehicons. He didn't always catch names, but he felt sure that he had seen a black vehicon like him somewhere before.

"No, wait." Starscream now called up a memory, recognizing the vehicon's voice. "You were the singing vehicon at the club!"

"You have been to our club?"

Steve replied, "He is very close to vehicons. He came, but only once."

Valor elaborated, "It is my favourite hobby, singing. My best friend is a brilliant veissiophone player and we've been practicing at the club for stellar cycles. We weren't good at first, but the support of the community really boosted our confidence and skill."

"It is always a pleasure to listen to you," Steve said. "What about Mint? What will he do now that you're starting training?"

Starscream assumed it had been the miner vehicon he had seen before, the green one with white eyes and skillful fingers.

Valor sighed, "He doesn't know yet. The only passion he has is playing music with me. He'll be sad that I'll be gone for so long, but I'm planning to pop over as often as I can."

It would not be difficult, since Starscream knew as well that he could still make it back for clubs and visits in Iacon.

"The club isn't the same without our talent," Steve nodded.

So after this encounter, it seemed that Starscream had accumulated three vehicons to take with him to Fort Scyk. Starscream at least wanted to get to know Valor better before the training year started. Consequently, he met that vehicon named "Mint", whom Valor affectionately dubbed "Minty". Found at Valor's home in Kalis, this vehicon was very shy and a bit frightened to meet strangers. But he later played his instrument for him, all the while with Starscream wondering how terrified Mint would be if he knew exactly who he was playing for.

He still stayed closest to Carnation, Shiloh, and Steve out of the dozens of vehicons he had met. With his extra money, he often picked one of these three or Knockout to take on trips. And if any of these trips winded up in Kaon, Starscream tried to catch Bumblebee and greet him if he could. He was sure there were mixed feelings about him, but Starscream wanted to connect to him when he normally couldn't. Then, he could see how he had improved.

Though, the Team Prime Autobot that Starscream was with the most, after Optimus, was Smokescreen. He always felt safe and happy around him, since his time as Moonwing had fabricated a special bond that at least Starscream felt. He loved meeting him at interesting joints, such as those where energon was tampered with. Smokescreen had him try strange drinks, and even alcohol. Mostly though, Starscream just wound up vomiting later after his organs rejected whatever he had ingested. Despite this, he was still eager to just be with Smokescreen and keep that good relationship with him.

For a while, Starscream had been wanting to get to know Arcee, since she and Smokescreen had been important in guarding him before. His impression was that Arcee didn't seem strict in the way Ultra Magnus was, and could be likable. At times, he peeked out from the window after hearing Bulkhead's turbofox in the hall. If it wasn't Bulkhead with her, then it was Arcee taking Spring out for a proper run. Small and high above, Starscream watched her pelt into the night, fast, tireless, running down the street. He wistfully imagined that in the future, he could be just as athletic as she was.

He wondered what sort of hobbies she had that kept her in shape. Starscream waited around the hall in hopes of catching her sometime to ask. Yet any attempt to talk to her somehow always failed. She never stopped walking while answering his simple questions, and she hardly made eye contact with him. He took it as that she was as busy as always. Arcee came and left often, so he didn't see it as a specific avoidance of interacting with him.

Yet he did learn that she went to some sort of climbing gym. It was new to him, so Starscream was eager to try it. When he asked if he could go there with her, her first reply was startlingly cold. A plain rejection without any reasons provided. He had been shocked, never thinking before that she might have a particular grievance with him.

That was when he wondered if she was disgusted by him. Wings drooping, he paced his home and imagined that her feelings were as unforgiving as Ultra Magnus'. Eventually, he admitted his thoughts to Optimus. And shortly after, as though by magic, Arcee was the one who found Starscream. Her eyebrows were pressed and eyes displeased as she asked him to come with her. Obviously, Optimus had spoken with her, but she had been pressured into it.

Since it was an obligation, Starscream's intrigue was drained and he felt nervous. He agreed to come, but now he felt the need to keep a certain distance away at all times. Ever since hearing her bitter reply and seeing her unmasked face of irritation, he felt threatened to be too close. What more, she never let him follow behind her. She didn't trust him to be there.

 _So she was never really worried about me_. Starscream thought back to the times she had used to guard and spy on him. _She treats me like I can't change._

Once he arrived at the climbing gym with her, he paid and abandoned her. It seemed best that way. He experimented with the easier obstacles, but he was still one of the many awed visitors who saw Arcee flying up the most difficult of obstacles. Starscream watched her race up to the ceiling many times, before she relaxed and stood with a staff member for while.

With him, Arcee spoke in a lighthearted way. It made Starscream realize even how she disliked him if she was capable of being so friendly to others.

He never again tried to bother her. There was no need to, when Starscream could have more fun elsewhere. Above all, with Knockout, the most entertaining of all of his friends. Everyone was enjoyable, but Knockout knew how to tease him, challenge him, and make him laugh. He never stared at him the way Arcee, Ultra Magnus, Ratchet, and Windblade did.

With Knockout, he only had to manage his embarrassment in watching Earth movies. Although, it was only uncomfortable in the beginning. Soon, it was his favourite thing to do with Knockout. He would fly to his studio and slide in, ready to joke about and point out the flaws of any movie. He was safe from the tension that arose around those like Arcee. Knockout's place was homely, like Optimus', and Starscream could and had fallen asleep there.

Knockout had picked up on something called _clichés_ and made sure that Starscream knew them all. But they weren't stern judges, since their emotions were bubbly. There were laughs, yelps of fear, stunned silences, cringing faces… all which became more dramatic the more friends Starscream invited to join them.

Though, sometimes Starscream liked having Knockout to himself. For then, he felt so relaxed that he didn't need to hide anything. Knockout could say his name and make jokes about his old, detestable personality. If Starscream was worried or had remembered something stressful, he could also talk about it so that Knockout made it seem as insignificant as dust in the wind.

And of course, Knockout's demands that Starscream bathe more often and get a proper polishing made Starscream shinier than he had ever been before. As the date to pack up and move into residence in Fort Scyk approached, Starscream had never been more strong, happy, and sparkling. It seemed to be Knockout's goal to send him off looking like a model, although scrapes and scratches were certain in military training.

Before he left Iacon, Optimus brought Starscream to Ratchet for another scan of his body and mind. Ratchet seemed more grim than usual just before they began, suspicious of the path Starscream was taking. Yet once he had scanned him, he seemed to be irritated when giving his report that Starscream had barely changed.

Starscream sighed, "I'm sorry I haven't remembered much more. I've been so focused on everything else and…"

It was the truth. Even his dreams were now about his studies and his friends. Starscream understood that Ratchet didn't want him to enter the military without taking the Trial first. How could Starscream be trusted with power without it? Things would have been easier if he could just do his Trial and move on, but Starscream hardly had any of his old memories.

"It is better for your memories to return slowly," Optimus said for both of their sakes. "If you had remembered everything in such a short period, it would have been overwhelming."

Starscream nodded. He didn't have to try to remember anything just to ease everyone else. Life was so rewarding now that it was best for unpleasant feelings and memories to trickle back in here and there as they were now.

When he got back, Starscream started packing for his move. There was not much, and everything fit into one box. But he wanted to be careful with everything, and he organized them gently. He set in his blanket first, then used it to wrap up his numerous presents in protection. Closing up that box gave him a satisfying and anxious emotion. Tomorrow, he was going to leave this place.

"Am I still welcome to come back here during the breaks?" Starscream asked.

"Of course," Optimus had answered.

That night, Starscream barely slept. In the morning, he collected his box with gusto and went with Optimus to the warp station. He would not say goodbye here, for Optimus accompanied him throughout the entire move. The spot they teleported into was far from the academy and a walk away. Here there was an area of stores and activities for the students, and already it was crawling with them. Like him, the students were moving in and shopping.

No matter where they went, students were in jaw-dropping awe to see Optimus roaming among them. They were too nervous to bother him, but excited whispers followed their trips from store-to-store. The eager Newsparks flashed bows or salutes, trying to portray their utmost respect. Amused, Starscream smiled along the way. It all never ceased the entire time Optimus helped Starscream buy supplies and carry them to his assigned residence.

Once there, Starscream signed in and received his room. It was disappointingly on a lower floor of one of the buildings, but Starscream held in his complaints. His room was wider than he needed, meant to be accommodating for larger bots. The desk, chair, and berth he had been given were far too big, but he was glad for the room. Along the back edge of the desk, Starscream could easily line up his presents and space them out. And as the berth was larger than the one at Optimus', he could stretch out as much as he wanted in it.

"This is great," he decided as he found a home for all of his things. Seeing the plain furniture now covered made it seem like this room was truly his. Starscream squished the bottles of energon onto a shelf, then clapped his hands together. There was nothing left to do; his new home was ready.

Optimus looked out his window to where students were seen crossing back and forth. Starscream took a look with him, feeling that his time to leave was soon.

"What will you do tonight?" Optimus asked.

Tomorrow, training would begin. Yet for now, he had many empty hours to fill.

Starscream shrugged. "Once all my friends are here, I will just be with them. Maybe we will look around the campus and shopping area."

It always seemed like they should be saying more, but Optimus was not the kind who said much. Starscream hoped he would ask more, but it seemed that there was nothing else Optimus needed. There was an awkward silence that stretched on, before Optimus said, "As you appear settled, perhaps it is time for me to leave you."

There was a strange tug in Starscream's spark. He was impatient to start this life, but he was also saddened to have to say goodbye, even if it was temporary.

"I'll come back to Iacon whenever I'm free," he vowed. "I will be thinking about you all and your kindness."

Now the awkwardness felt worse, when Starscream sensed that it was more than just a goodbye. It was a moment of realization that he owed so much to them for even being here.

Self-conscious of all he had done, even if he could not remember it, Starscream dipped his head. He was uncomfortably warm as he stuttered, "Thank you…"

"You will do well here," Optimus promised.

Starscream nodded, still too uncomfortable to look at his face. He mumbled a farewell, then Optimus departed from the room. He felt the tension disperse once he was gone. Now, Starscream removed his phone from his abdomen, within the space he could now open. He checked for messages of his friends that would soon come. In fact, it wasn't long until Valor would arrive.

Starscream walked back over to the warp station and met the jet vehicon when he came through.

"Hello, Moonwing," Valor greeted him politely while dragging a wheeled case behind him. They were still unfamiliar, so both used formal Cybertronian with each other.

"Hello." Starscream nodded back.

Valor didn't buy anything, but instead they both went directly to the residence area. His room was in a different building, and it was near the top floor. When Starscream saw the view, he was a bit jealous. Although, their rooms were equally spacious. As Valor unpacked, Starscream sat on the bed and watched. He had much more than Starscream, his own collection of gifts as well as framed images. As he set down pictures of different vehicons, something squeezed Starscream's spark.

"You seem to be popular," he murmured. "You have so many friends."

"Just vehicons," he admitted. "You're my only non-vehicon friend."

"That's what Shiloh and Steve say," Starscream commented.

Starscream stared at the vehicons, who were individualized by colours, accessories, and poses. There was still a clenching in his chest. What was it that made him feel so guilty?

Starscream continued, "Who are they? How did you meet?"

Asking questions could distract him. Besides, Starscream was starting to worry that he was talking too much and not listening. He didn't think he knew enough about his friends.

So Valor pointed at them and listed their human names. He explained their jobs, their hobbies, and the kind of things they did together. It was relaxing to let Valor speak for long in his smooth voice, where his speech slowly became more informal.

But Starscream started to understand his guilt. There were so many happy vehicons in those pictures, but they were only the ones who had survived. Those that had died in the War couldn't join in those crowds.

 _I know that I contributed to this_ , he thought. Starscream turned and blinked at the window for a while.

When the time came, they went down and over to meet Shiloh. Valor had not yet met the miner vehicon, so Starscream introduced them.

"You're the singing vehicon," Shiloh said. "Why are you here?"

"I didn't think any vehicon could get far in music," Valor replied. "But, I want to learn how to fight. I would love to be a police officer and break stereotypes."

"I came to conquer as well. I think we'll get along. Do you have any training yet?"

Valor held the back of his head. "I guess not. I was hoping they would give me all that here. But I think I know you. Are you that scrappy vehicon that Ratchet blinded?"

"So you heard about that?"

Valor shrugged. "I heard about you from Mint. Apparently you beat the scrap out of someone with a pipe not long ago. That bot who tried to rob Macbeth- he's a mutual friend of you and Mint, I guess."

Starscream smirked. "Were you practicing your sword skills?"

"Yeah," Shiloh chuckled in his quiet way. "But there were no swords around. I had to make do."

Valor laughed, "At least one vehicon here will make us look good. Everyone's going to laugh at my terrible aim until I get better."

Starscream said, "You will be fine. Just ignore the laughter of the immature Newsparks. They used to laugh at me a lot, and bots still laugh when I trip and fall."

"They laugh at you?" Valor tossed his head as though rolling his eyes. "What fine examples of Autobots."

They went to Shiloh's room, which was also separate from Starscream's building. Shiloh didn't bring anything else than energon and sport equipment. Since Steve would not come for hours still, Shiloh insisted that they toss around one of his balls. So Starscream searched for a field on the campus with the two vehicons, then when they found one, they began to play. There had already been stares to see vehicons here as students, but now there was gawking all around them.

Everyone was astonished to see a flier playing with two different types of vehicons. Groups lingered, watching them and snickering. Valor was completely new to games, and could neither throw nor catch. The vehicon was so uncoordinated that some students yowled with laughter. Shiloh was talented, but somehow even he was a source of entertainment. Starscream knew it had to do with the fact that during the War, Shiloh's type of vehicon had been service class, not warrior class. There was much finger-pointing at him.

After Valor dropped the ball for the umpteenth time, a cry called out, "It's pointless to play sports with vehicons! They've got atrocious aim!"

Starscream spun and glared. Not only was the comment unfair for Valor, but it was ridiculous. Shiloh had proven himself even better at the game than Starscream himself.

It was a red and silver flier who had spoken. His smirk and posture radiated arrogance, and at his side there was another flier, blue with some white on the tips of his wings. This companion was broad and sturdy, bearing a cold expression as he stood taller than everyone else.

"Just ignore them," Starscream muttered, then passed the ball to Shiloh. The small vehicon caught it, gripping it in ire.

The red flier called out, "What are you doing, playing with a group like that? Come on. You're going to become a Seeker, aren't you?"

Starscream narrowed his eyes. Shiloh threw the ball to Valor before stalking up to the fliers, despite only being half their height.

"What?" he uttered. Starscream joined Shiloh, but Valor stood back indecisively, picking up the ball he had dropped again.

The red flier ignored the vehicon as though he hadn't spoken. He just looked to Starscream. "Why don't you hang out with us? You don't need to be so desperate to be with _them_."

"Do you really have nothing better to do?" Starscream muttered. "It is none of your business who my friends are, idiot."

Shiloh twitched in amusement and crossed his arms at the harshness of Starscream's tone.

"Oi, _what_?"

"You think that somehow, an entire race is all the same? Try using your processor for once and _think_ that maybe, a lack of training makes bots bad at something."

"Oh, you're just one of those bots who act all righteous! Trying to look better than everyone else, all accepting like some kind of _hero_." He narrowed his red eyes at Starscream. "Fine then, see how it goes, being friends with _Decepticons_! You're the idiot, you know!"

The red flier tossed his head up and stalked off, wings haughtily pricked high. His friend huffed a laugh and joined his side.

"I suppose we will have to get used to this," Shiloh growled.

Starscream said, "They might get over it. Maybe if I try to be more calm, I can put down a good argument."

"Pah. Idiots don't even know a good argument when they hear one. I'll just show them myself. Hopefully, that arrogant flier's in one of our physical classes." Shiloh paused. "Though admittedly, punching his face would be satisfying too."

"But we don't want to get kicked out," Starscream smirked.

"Ha. True. He's lucky."

They continued their game, though the passing students still hooted at them. Yet as long as there were no more direct insults, they tried to ignore everyone.

After a pass, Shiloh called to Valor, "That one wasn't bad."

A stranger walking by yelled, "No, it was!"

Shiloh looked for a moment as though he was contemplating hurling the metal ball at the back of the student's head. He looked back to the other vehicon and kindly said, "You _are_ getting it."

They played for a while longer, then put away the ball to go meet Steve. As they headed over, Starscream felt a burst of excitement. Steve came through the portal with the smallest box of them all, and immediately looked to Starscream to the left of the vehicons.

Starscream smiled to see him. "Here we are, at last."

"I'm glad that you recovered in time for the start of the semester," Steve sighed. "It's great to be here with you."

"Be warned though," Starscream said, "because the other students are a bunch of glitches. They were already bothering Shiloh and Valor."

"Oh."

"No worries." Shiloh looked up to Steve. "We're not leaving no matter how much they want us to."

Somehow, all the vehicons ended up in the same building, leaving Starscream alone in his own. From the highest floor of the other residency, Starscream peered out the window of Steve's dormitory while he unpacked. Shiloh and Valor sat on the berth, both on their phones.

"What do you think we should do?" Steve asked, though Starscream knew he was mostly directing the question at him.

"I suppose we do have a lot of time," Starscream nodded.

"Nothing _too_ active," Valor said. "I'm not fit at all, and I need some energy for tomorrow"

They already knew each other's schedules, so they were all aware that they shared the same group for morning calisthenics.

Starscream replied, "We can always look around all the buildings, find out where our classes are…"

"Oh, good idea," Valor nodded. "With all the strict teachers, we would not want to be late."

The jet vehicon stood first. The rest followed him, with Steve locking up his room behind them. The group explored the entirety of the campus, entering all the buildings they could and scouting out the training grounds. They came across one for flying, with tall walls with holes, poles, and rings spread across a field. It was incessible at the moment, behind a shielded barrier, but Valor murmured, "That looks hard."

Starscream didn't want to say it, but he thought it looked disappointingly easy. Looking at it, he knew exactly what he needed to do. He could imagine how his body felt moving around obstacles like that. A very old memory bubbled up, hazy, but of his early days as training as a Seeker. He had seen something like this back then, and it had never been hard for him.

They spent hours looking around and remembering the names of the buildings. They took a tour around the library, finding the study rooms, and then they checked out what lay in the streets for the students. Besides the game and sports shops, there were plenty of bars.

"It's like they _want_ drunk students," Starscream commented. He imagined that if the students were already unbearable, they were only going to get worse.

"So you don't do that?" Valor asked.

"It's a waste of shanix. Besides, I can't consume anything but lukewarm, liquid energon. I would only purge or get sick if I drank alcohol."

"Although," Shiloh said, "we could dance at the clubs."

"Won't they just laugh again?" Valor interjected.

"Not when they see how good we are. Didn't you know? Moonwing and I go to the same dance club. Even our basic skills are enough to stun a horde of drunk Newsparks."

"I didn't know that. Though, how interesting! Maybe that would help ease the tension."

Steve said, "You could sing, Valor. Look in that one. I think they have a stage area for karaoke."

They peered through the glass. There was a microphone and black screen in sight, but Valor stammered, "O-oh, well… I don't know how they will feel."

"You have a great voice," Shiloh said. "Why not?"

Embarrassed, the jet vehicon rubbed his neck. " _Maybe_ ," he conceded.

Starscream said, "I do find it a good idea to get the other students to like you. Perhaps, it will change how society views vehicons."

"That might be too optimistic," Shiloh responded.

"Well, obviously it would take a _long_ time," Starscream replied. "You are ever the pessimist, aren't you?"

"Toleration is enough. I don't need them to be my friend."

They moved on, but Valor asked, "How _did_ all of you become friends with Moonwing?"

Starscream hesitated and looked to the others. Shiloh was already shrugging, saying, "It just sort of happened. Saw each other at the library a few times, he recognized me…"

Starscream supposed it hardly mattered to the miner vehicon that he was Starscream, since he never knew him. He wondered how it was for Valor. Had he ever done anything to this vehicon? He was still trying to get to know him, to see if it was appropriate to reveal his true identity or not. If Valor spilled his secret, accidentally or for revenge, then some new Decepticon could emerge from the underworld with worse intentions than Slipstream.

"I was introduced to him at the club," Steve said. "By Shiloh. He came up to our group."

"Why? Because he sounds like Starscream?" Valor chuckled at Steve. "Don't tell me this flier got dragged into your obsession."

Steve glanced at Starscream quickly, then looked away, hot in embarrassment that Valor said all this in front of him. "I-I didn't _drag_ him…"

He stumbled over his words. Starscream took the opportunity to dig into the question, "Speaking of that, do you find it strange to hear me talk?"

"Oh, no, it's fine," Valor replied. "You sound much more gentle. Starscream had these awful drawls that made you think he was always up to something."

"So then, you didn't like him, right?"

"Starscream? Are you kidding? Only _Steve_ likes Starscream. No offense, Steve, but we shouldn't have kept him around. I heard a rumor that Megatron was going to scrap him, but didn't. I don't know how such a treacherous bot stayed our second-in-command for so long."

He didn't remember everything in detail, but Starscream knew the event he had just mentioned was true. And as Starscream barely remember his own actions, he tried to be understanding.

 _I can't be offended if I was really_ that _bad. And maybe if Megatron had killed me, it would have been better._

But here he was. Moving on, he asked, "Did he ever do anything to you?"

"Me? I guess not. Ha ha, actually, I guess he's made me laugh a few times. I heard that he once danced in front of some of the crew. Oh! And apparently he used to have a crown and silk cape. Long ago." Valor chuckled. "He really loved his fantasies. His personality was the most eccentric, so maybe _that's_ why Megatron kept him. His comedy piece."

Steve checked Starscream to see if he had taken insult, but Starscream only breathed out a laugh. He didn't remember this well either, and to hear that he had done all these things astounded him.

"Can you do a true Starscream voice?" Valor asked, officially using informal speech.

Shiloh laughed. Starscream made sure no one else was in hearing range, then found his drawl, "Oh I _can_ , but only if you buy me a crown."

As the jet vehicon broke into a laugh, Steve paused, unsure how to react. Eventually, he laughed lightly, seeing that it was the point.

Valor tried to address him as seriously as he would to Starscream during the War, but his voice stumbled in amusement. "Then I will buy you a crown, Commander."

"That is _Lord_ to you!"

The vehicon lost it, tripping away laughing. Shiloh shook, and some students looked over in confusion. None of them had ever seen vehicons laughing, or even imagined that they could. Starscream covered his smile with a hand. It had been so long since he had done this voice, but now he remembered how it had once made an entire room erupt into laughter.

His gaze glazed over as he remembered the context, where a hyper Corvicon had prompted him to do it. He had been so shy back then.

"That was perfect," Valor gasped, stabilizing his smooth voice. "If you did that at the club… Oh my… Why don't you come back?"

Shiloh said, "Because if Moonwing goes into dead zones, it worries Optimus. We don't want him cracking down on him."

"Oh but, it isn't a bad place," Valor protested. "He could just tell Optimus. It doesn't matter if he knows what our club is."

"He knows about it," Starscream said, "but I heard sometimes Decepticons barge into the club to use your dead zone."

"I guess that is true. Hm. Maybe we should just remove the rods? I don't see why we need a dead zone. It _would_ solve our problem."

"I don't know. Privacy reasons," Shiloh shrugged.

"I just know the vehicons would love it if Moonwing did some skits. Some of them have a tough life and a bad past. It would lighten their moods."

Shiloh said, "Record him then."

"Oh! What an excellent idea for later."

The group continued to thoroughly investigate the shopping area. Once Starscream caught the sun setting, however, he knew he should return.

"I am going to need a long rest before tomorrow," he had told them.

"Maybe we should recharge too," Valor agreed. "I, for one, don't want to look any worse than I have to. Not when bots like that rude flier are watching."

The vehicons collectively agreed that they would recharge. They walked back to the residence buildings, then parted ways. Starscream stepped back to his room, body shivering in excitement for the courses that would start tomorrow. To recharge though, he tried to calm down, answering all his messages and shutting the blinds of his window. In the darkness, he lay down and tried to settle under his blanket.

Even though he ceased thinking about school, he still found himself rolling restlessly. The blanket was as warm as ever, yet he couldn't find comfort. Starscream hated the wasted moments of rest, and the thumps and voices of other students vexed him. Still, he knew the noise wasn't exactly the problem.

Starscream was aware that as much as half an hour had passed. He wondered what was keeping him up, and he thought for only a minute before he came up with an answer.

 _I'm not used to recharging alone._

No, after almost two years, there had always been at least someone in the room with him. And when there wasn't, he usually woke up. That was how it had been easy to catch Optimus' discussions with the others.

Starscream frowned and curled his fingers. The room felt empty, spooky without Optimus sitting somewhere nearby. There was silence wrapped around him despite the distant howls of students. No one was playing the news. There wasn't even the comforting sound of Knockout's pen scratching at a screen, which Starscream heard every time he fell asleep watching Knockout draw.

 _I didn't think this was something I had to get used to._

Then he wondered something else.

 _Should I get used to it? Or should I embrace my new need for company? Starscream was standoffish and alone. But I want to love being around others._

Starscream powered off the blanket and hopped to his feet. After tossing his phone inside himself, he headed downstairs and out of his residence. Starscream tilted his head up to the darkening sky, narrowing his eyes at the opposite building. He stared at the highest level of the residence and counted the windows, then he launched into flight.

With a great burst of speed, he was near the window in a second. He swept up then transformed, falling toward the window as he saw through it. Fortunately, he had been right. He saw Steve with Valor inside, so he didn't regret it when he latched onto the edges and thumped into the glass.

The vehicons jumped and glanced over. Starscream was crammed onto the ledge, staring at them with cheerful relief. He was sure he would find comfort with them around.

"S-" But Steve caught himself. He silenced the yell of his name, instead just dashing to the window, trying to pry it open. Starscream blinked and smirked as Steve tore off the screen and fought with the latches to let him in.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Steve gasped. He slid open the window, but the gap was so small. Starscream pointed his wings back, wiggling through just barely, and collapsed in a tangle on the floor.

Valor was laughing ever since seeing him clinging on outside. He chuckled now, "Moonwing, you little psycho. We do have functioning elevators, you know."

"I don't think the screen was supposed to come out like that," Steve admitted while examining the square of mesh.

"Did he make you break it?"

Starscream collected himself, but couldn't help but smile. "Apologies. I suddenly realized that I didn't want to be alone."

"That's awfully innocent," Valor replied. "We decided that we don't need to recharge, but we will study a bit tonight."

"Are you okay with that?" Steve asked. "I know that you wanted to recharge…"

"I don't mind." Starscream was already sliding into the unoccupied berth. Somehow, the exhaustion crashed into him. It must have been his poor sleep last night, combined with the calm he felt now. The vehicons were both surprised by how quickly he flopped into the berth and closed his eyes. It was as though he was demonstrating his point, and Valor was even more amused.

"He knows what he wanted," Valor chuckled softly.

"He usually does," Steve murmured.

They looked over Starscream as he lay on his side, face to them and wings pointed into the space of the berth. He heard them and knew they were watching, but he didn't mind. Being watched was the opposite of undesirable now. Their murmurs and gazes were extremely relaxing.

The vehicons turned back to their electronics, preparing to read through Cybertronian laws and take notes. Only about a minute had passed, but Starscream was deathly still. Valor looked over at him, then whispered, " Do you think he's already…?"

There was no answer. Steve looked closely, staring over the calm of Starscream's body. Under the bands of silver on his wrists, Starscream's hands were limp, fingers loose. As they both observed the silent and shining, black flier, Steve voiced agreement.

"He's gone," he murmured. "But we'll wake him up for class in the morning."

For Starscream had not set an alarm. And Steve knew that since he was already falling into deep slumber, it was clear that Starscream trusted them. It never ceased to amaze him, these little acts of trust; Steve knew that he would continue to be thankful for them as they continued to come to him in the future.


	16. Chapter 15: In His Spark

It had been a long time since Starscream had been plagued by bloody dreams. He did not know why tonight, after so long, his past infiltrated his dreams. He knew from the shock and despair in his spark that all that he saw were true events, not imagined. He was screeching through the sky, firing down at Autobots scrambling for cover. There were flashes of lights past him- fellow Seekers behind him were firing at the Cybertronians and scattering them. Starscream recalled their names and knew that Slipstream was there. Skywarp and Thundercracker were the closest to him, with Skywarp hollering taunts as they burned fatal marks into those who were not fast enough to flee.

Starscream flinched away from the death. He knew that he had felt nothing in these memories but soaring satisfaction. He had liked watching the grounded Autobots panic at his arrival. The feeling of pleasure sickened him now. He didn't want to see more, but he was hardly aware it was a dream, so he couldn't jerk himself away from it.

Steve and Valor watched Starscream kick out and claw at the berth. The peace of his face was disrupted now, scrunched up as though in pain. His wings flickered and scraped the metal, but Starscream was unaware of all this and the soft moans he was emitting. They knew he was trapped in his dream.

Steve watched, unsure of what to do. If Starscream was having a nightmare, it was best to wake him if he was suffering. He had been sitting on the floor with Valor, but now he knelt at the berthside and reached out his hand. He hesitated, curling his three fingers. In that moment, it didn't seem that he was allowed to touch Starscream.

Yet he remembered how much had changed. He was being too nervous. Steve shook Starscream by a shoulder plate, but with a _shink_ , the claws of his hands slid out. Starscream curled in deeper on himself and flexed his knifelike fingers. Steve heard the other vehicon shift in surprise, seeing those claws for the first time.

Steve drew back. Bothering Starscream now could be a mortal mistake if he accidentally lashed out at him. The lights gleamed on the razor-edges. Yet Starscream groaned and jolted; the nightmare was becoming worse and distressing him.

He sat on the berth and reached over him, his abdomen dangerously close to Starscream's grasping fingers. Steve's hand fell onto the joint for one of his large wings. He was afraid to push, but being too light could cause Starscream to react. Therefore, he forced himself to confidently stroke this wing until Starscream recognized it. He brushed over the joints and smaller wings, and slowly Starscream relaxed.

The claws slid back on themselves and his eyes peeled open for a moment. But then, they closed, and Starscream was limp.

Steve pet his wings for a while longer to send him off into a better dream. He then joined the other vehicon and continued their studying until the sun balled up on the horizon. At that point, they stood, stretched, and finally woke Starscream.

"Are you okay?" Steve immediately asked.

Despite the nightmare, Starscream had rested well. He nodded. "Yes… and thank you."

Knowing that Starscream remembered what he had done, Steve stammered, "I hope I didn't do something wrong."

"No, of course you didn't."

Starscream knew it was time for the daily physical activity. Without pausing, the three rushed downstairs. Shiloh was found waiting for them on the ground floor, and they left together. Groups of other students were heading the same way, glancing at the vehicons, and murmuring. Starscream stayed silent with them, focused only on arriving on time.

They came to another training field that was as wide and long as the one for flying had been. There was a track around it and in the center, many different kinds of weights were assembled. Before the instructor arrived, students took the chance to fool around and burn off their anxious energy. Starscream watched them shove and chase each other in small circles, but he and his group were silent, standing on the line clearly painted for them.

Two fliers padded in to join the class, one silver and red, and the other blue with white-tipped wings. Starscream rolled his eyes and muttered to Shiloh, "Look over there."

Shiloh looked and grunted, "We have to beat them."

When a bot with a visor covering his eyes marched to the scene, the students noticed and settled down. Nevertheless, the scowling bot boomed, "Attention!"

It startled the others, but the former Decepticons did not react. This shouting did not seem threatening to Starscream's senses. Just loud.

They were a group of thirty, and the instructor took their names now for attendance. For the vehicons however, their unit assignments were called out. Starscream was surprised, forgetting again that the names they had chosen were not recognized legally. To the others, they were still just a forgettable jumble of letters and numbers.

When the instructor yelled out the names of the two fliers, Starscream learned them. The mouthy red flier was called Aceflight. Immediately, Shiloh whispered, "With a name as cocky as that, of course he's…"

The quieter and sturdier flier was appropriately named Cloudtips. Both fliers were still and surprisingly serious now that training had begun. Aceflight didn't even glance their way.

Before they began, the instructor yelled, "Listen here! Whether you want to be a cop or in the military, I want you to give everything your all! If you slack off when it seems hard, then how can others trust you to not give up when it matters? You _will_ perform!"

There was determination welling up in the eyes of the students. The red flier and the blue one brightened with decisive energy.

"No matter what we do here, you can't be worried about failing in front of others. If you can handle the pressure of being watched and yelled at, things will be easier down the road! Now focus on increasing your strength, speed, and stamina! You won't survive any fight if your body fails you! Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir!" they cried.

Starscream was tense in excitement. He looked at Aceflight and Cloudtips, then to Shiloh. When the group was told to run, Starscream and Shiloh sprinted to the front. Steve caught up with them, but Valor instantly dropped to the back.

All they needed was to do five laps, but the fliers recognized the race. At least, the red one did. Aceflight glowered and charged up to them with Cloudtips struggling to follow the lighter flier.

Aceflight tore off ahead of them, but after a lap, he lost his energy. Starscream, Shiloh, and Steve passed him along with more of the students. He found his place among the middle, finishing half a minute after Starscream. While the instructor was busy yelling at Valor, Aceflight stormed up to Starscream.

"You're just trying to show off, aren't you?" he growled.

Starscream replied, "We're _supposed_ to go as hard as we can."

But Shiloh said, "You're just angry that some vehicons beat you."

Cloudtips fell in beside Aceflight as he hissed, "So what if you're faster? Who needs running anyway? You can drive and _I_ can fly." Looking to Starscream, he muttered, "What kind of Seeker wants to run? What matters is my skill in the air. Wait 'till we fly. I'll show you then!"

The students were then made to lift the weights that they could. The goal was ten repetitions, and the instructor did not care what was chosen so long as the students visibly struggled. Steve and Shiloh could lift more than Starscream, even though he had been practicing. He was one of the weakest in the class, but not the worst since Valor always had that position.

The heaviest students tossed thick chunks of metal over their heads and walked down the field. Starscream raised his brows, watching them and gasping as he bore his light load. There was no comparing to the students who would clearly become Wreckers.

When they were dragging blocks attached to chains, Starscream went forward on shaking legs. He looked back and saw Valor stuck; the vehicon was yanking as hard as he could though the block barely budged.

"He shouldn't be here." Cloudtips was returning, dragging his chunk. "Vehicons are useless in battle."

Cloudtips moved too far past him for Starscream to fling back a retort.

After a short break, the students were to break off into those who could drive and fly. Before they split off, Shiloh uttered to Starscream, "You're good at English."

"Yes?"

Shiloh glanced at Aceflight and Cloudtips. "For the love of Primus, I beg you to _kick their asses_."

Starscream understood and snorted. He waved at Steve and Shiloh, then joined the smaller group of flight-capable Cybertronians with Valor. A new instructor flew in to gather them, and together they lifted off to the training grounds. After landing and transforming, Valor whispered to Starscream, "I am so tired!"

"You're doing great. Hopefully, the next part won't be so labour-intensive."

The flying instructor announced, "Today will be a basic assessment of speed and agility! I will demonstrate a route and you will all copy me."

In a line, they flew after him and looped around the poles, dove over and under walls, and slipped through holes. The slow and careful speed drove impatience into Starscream. The turns were long and the holes too wide and easy to get through. Once everyone was familiar with the route, however, the instructor said, "I want to see each of you complete the route as fast as you can. I will be timing you, but do not be pressured. Focus on form and safety. A crash in the air means another crash into the ground!"

Valor was the first called up. He walked forward, analyzing the path before transforming. He flew slow, but turned neatly around each corner and never touched an obstacle. After he had landed, the instructor called out, "Very nice. I want everyone to focus like he did. I would rather have slower speeds than sloppy flights. If anyone scrapes their wing, you must do the course again!"

Aceflight huffed at the praise of the vehicon. The other fliers did, however, try to be careful. Starscream was rather astounded by how slow they went. It seemed that they had no experience at all dodging. When Cloudtips went up, he was surprisingly quick despite his larger size. As for Aceflight, he was scraping his feet impatiently to go.

"Try to beat this," he threw at Starscream before transforming. Aceflight zipped into the course, sharply weaving through the obstacles. He was still easily beatable, but Starscream had to admit that both he and Cloudtips were good fliers.

"Don't worry about beating them," Valor whispered. "Don't get hurt."

Starscream grinned. "Don't worry about me."

His spark and body quivered in excitement. Every part of him wanted to hurl himself into the course and dominate it. With nothing shooting at him, it was far too simple to fly as he pleased.

Aceflight landed and a few other fliers went. Near the end, Starscream was called up. Flooded with passion, he hurled himself into the air. He blasted off at high speed, hearing the yelps of the students far behind him. He careened into the obstacle course, snapping through the holes and passing so close to the wall edge's that he nearly scraped them.

At the first pole, Starscream transformed. He heard the students holler as he grabbed the pole in the air and let the momentum swing him around it. He fell through a hole while transforming, tearing back through the air. He spun side-to-side, then passed through another hole upside-down. He righted himself and transformed again at the next pole and the one after that, always swinging himself around them. No student could deny now that this was no accident. Starscream was clearly shaving off seconds at each opportunity.

Starscream charged back to the students at such a speed that they scattered. But he tilted up, hovered, and dropped to his feet before them. Jaws were dropped as they stared at the returned flier, then most broke out into whoops. Valor's hands were on his face, and the instructor had dropped his notepad.

"Moonwing," the instructor breathed. "Those were incredibly advanced moves. Wh-where did you learn them?"

"He transformed while flying!" a student yipped. "That was epic!"

Starscream didn't have to answer as the fliers crowded him.

"Moonwing, right?"

"You're so cool!"

"Can you teach me that?"

"How did you fly upside-down?"

The instructor brushed them away, "Calm down now. You will all learn these skills over time."

"Show off," Aceflight muttered beside Starscream. When Starscream peered at him, he huffed, "Me and Cloudtips could have done that."

The instructor continued talking, so Starscream was saved from answering. He slid over to Valor, whose emotionless gaze asked, _Where_ did _you learn that?_

He gave him a little shrug. After the flying instructor spoke for a little longer, the training ended. Now, they would have a break then start the classes of study. As they walked back to meet Steve and Shiloh, Valor gasped, "I couldn't believe it! Did either of you know how talented he is at flying?"

Shiloh nodded.

Steve murmured, "Yes."

"It is incredible! I know he sounds like Starscream, but I swear he flies like him too!"

Shiloh puffed out a laugh.

"Aceflight especially wasn't happy," Valor concluded.

"Good," Shiloh said, then explained to Steve about the two fliers they despised.

They walked on and Starscream heard a bit about their driving training. And at some point, Valor and Shiloh got a bit ahead of them. They seemed to get along well, and got lost in a conversation. Steve dropped to Starscream's side and whispered, "Aren't you worried about looking too good?"

"What do you mean?" he whispered back.

"What if someone guesses that you might be…"

"I don't think that will happen. Everyone thinks I am dead."

"Even if you sound like…?"

Starscream murmured, "No. No one thinks the High Council would lie. They would only think it is humorous, like Valor does."

"Let's hope so."

"It will be fine," Starscream told him.

The conversation ended at that.

* * *

Days passed about the same, where Starscream gave it his all in the calisthenics and then spent the classes half listening. The vehicons gathered in their free time to study, all in Steve's room, but Starscream hardly ever joined them. He knew everything already, and so the vehicons sat on the floor with their backs on the berth while Starscream napped behind them.

Despite the physical training they had, he also hurried off to the clubs with Shiloh for sword fighting and dancing. So Starscream even dozed off in some of his classes, only to get a holler from a teacher and a snide comment from Aceflight.

He sneered, "Training too much for you?"

"Mock me only if you can beat me," Starscream countered.

Cloudtips chuckled, and Aceflight grumbled, "Stop laughing, you."

But neither of them were close to beating him in flying. Cloudtips was the strongest of the three, but Starscream assumed he had never been physically strong in his past. He was fine with his speed and agility anyway, yet he noticed that Aceflight and Cloudtips were the quickest learners of the ten fliers. They were admittedly good students, becoming better at their turns. Nevertheless, Starscream had glimpsed them heading in the direction of the bars more than once.

He hadn't had the interest to go to the shopping area until Shiloh prompted them. Weeks after the start of their training, Starscream and the vehicons decided to go dancing at one of the clubs. Steve and Valor were hesitant, but Shiloh was quietly enthusiastic. He planned with Starscream what moves they could do. And the moment they entered a club, some students perked up.

"Hey, that's Moonwing!"

The one who had cried out was someone he didn't recognize. Starscream stared, unsure how he had known who he was. But now some students had stopped dancing and looked over. They weren't even fliers, but they looked awed by his appearance.

"He's the one in that video."

"He's wild."

They came up to him, ignoring the vehicons.

"What are you talking about?" Starscream asked.

Someone searched through their phone then shoved the screen by his face. A student had recorded Starscream from afar, showing him tearing through another course, flipping and turning sharply around obstacles. It was posted on social media, with much praise and many responses. He had not known about this, but now he understood why so many students had been staring directly at him lately.

"You live with Optimus, right?" A student asked.

"I do…" Starscream trailed off and looked back to his friends. He didn't want to be singled out from them.

"How did you get so good?"

"Yeah- and weren't you injured? How did you recover so fast?"

Starscream replied, "Through the support of my friends."

He tossed his head back to include them, even if Valor technically had not helped him. Finally, the students seemed to notice the vehicons. Starscream took the chance to introduce them by name. Fortunately, they could grasp the difference since each vehicon was a type.

"Wow so like, vehicons just like Earth names?"

"That's pretty exotic."

"Vehicons are interesting," Starscream told them. "Look, they all have their own passions."

Now was his chance. Starscream nodded at Shiloh. "He can dance."

"Oh? Like real dancing?"

Most students were just swaying and pumping fists to the music. There was no sense of skill or professionalism here.

"Watch him," Starscream said.

This group joined them as they pushed to the center. The song currently playing was upbeat, fast enough for anything to be done. Shiloh was already listening to catch the beat and decide what he should do. The students with them helped clear a space, then they stood back and watched him with interest. The other students were looking at Starscream hopefully, thinking he was what they were being pushed back for, but he stayed rooted to the spot.

The smallest vehicon broke into the space, the eyes and coloured lights of the club all on him. He did not hesitate, and at the smash of a beat, he reacted. Faces opened up as the miner vehicon spun and leapt, landing gracefully and kicking out on the floor. It was more than what Starscream had learned, and Shiloh became an incomprehensible blur of arms and legs. He moved to the music perfectly, but no one could figure out how he coordinated himself. He glided and turned without stumbling or falling, with no effort being visibly shown on his stone face.

"Alright!" someone whooped. Suddenly, a timed clap arose to Shiloh's moves and kicks. Starscream joined with Steve and Valor, grinning. He could sense Shiloh's rapture as he kept up as though gravity and fatigue did not affect him. When the song ended, he held a pose and soaked up the cheer.

One of the students remembered the name Starscream had told him. He yelled, "Ya, Shiloh!"

Many others joined in the cry.

"Shiloh! Shiloh! Shiloh!"

Starscream saw phones being pulled out. They wanted more, and they were ready to record.

"Come on," Shiloh beckoned him.

Another fast-paced song came on. There was no better opportunity. Starscream knew he couldn't do the complicated moves Shiloh had just done, but he had practiced enough to be able to complete a smooth routine with him. The vehicon went in front of him, and while watching him and adjusting to the song's tempo, he repeated a routine they had been doing in the club.

Yet as they moved and slid, the crowd did not realize how much they had practiced. They were only stunned by their smoothness and how in sync they were. Videos shook as they lost control, calling out their names and shouting. Starscream kept moving, knowing that he had to trust his body and not hesitate. He couldn't ruin this now. Students were jumping and starting to dance along, not knowing where to put their energy. As long as the music and claps went on, Starscream and Shiloh continued the routine. When they ran out of moves, they repeated from the start. No one noticed the transition. The song ended, and they spun to a stop.

The intensity picked up. Everyone was hoping and dancing to the new song, feeding off the hype they had just created. Starscream walked back to Valor and Steve, shaking himself off. Students came and surrounded them, patting Starscream and Shiloh, firmly stating their compliments and asking where they learned to dance.

After they had been appeased, they squeezed through the tightening crowd. They hadn't really intended to stay for long, and Starscream was already cutting into his rest time.

Just before they escaped out into the street, Starscream glanced back. Through the quaking crowd, Starscream caught sight of two familiar faces. The fliers Cloudtips and Aceflight were watching them, but there was no malice on their faces. Their expressions were as impressed and warm as everyone else who saw them go. Starscream suddenly wondered if they too had been cheering and clapping with the others. They had never looked at him and the vehicons so welcomely before.

* * *

These two fliers did not bother Starscream and the vehicons for a time after their popularity had increased. Valor had eventually sung in front of a crowd, and Steve had apparently had his own victories in driving training. Videos were circulating and Starscream's social account was on fire. He had not meant for all this attention, but it was perfect for his friends.

Starscream didn't know how to properly explain his relief and happiness when he came back to Iacon. Talking about the good they had all done felt strange, especially if he was speaking to Optimus. He didn't want to appear to be bragging, and he dared not show anyone the videos except for Knockout.

He stood in front of him and showed him his aerial feats, earning whistles and jokes.

"How typical," Knockout teased. "Being the biggest show off at the academy."

"It's not like that." Starscream had taken the phone away. As tempting as it was to give into the adoration, he remembered Steve's words. He couldn't become full of himself and vain again.

"Oh _sure_ ," he laughed. "Honestly, some things never change."

"Why you-!"

But Knockout hadn't been serious, and Starscream knew it. Despite the circulation of his flight videos, despite how students now gathered at the edges of the field to watch him, he didn't let himself feel superior. He merely reminded himself that he had far more experience than them, and that some of the fliers could learn the same moves after more time.

He had almost forgotten about how bothersome Aceflight and Cloudtips had been before, since they had been so quiet and studious. Time went on, but eventually Starscream had been caught walking alone by them. He had just been returning home after buying more energon when they jogged up in front of him.

"Hey, Moon," Aceflight said. "Why haven't you been coming to the parties? We've seen you pop into clubs, but you don't stick around."

"I don't have time for such activities." Starscream stopped only because he sounded amicable.

Aceflight suddenly snapped, "What, you think you're too good for us?"

"No," Starscream explained. "I need to recharge every night."

"That's odd," Cloudtips rumbled.

"It's because my body is still healing. It requires much rest."

Aceflight continued, "But they say you just hang out with the vehicons every night. Do you really just hang out with them all the time?"

"Of course."

"So you study with them? And recharge?"

"Yes." Starscream peered at him, seeing his disapproval. "Why does it still bother you?"

Cloudtips answered in his low voice, "Vehicons aren't exactly trustworthy."

"Yeah," Aceflight said. "We know someone who was robbed by one. Since they used to be Decepticons, we're a bit… worried."

"Don't be," Starscream muttered. "They've gone through Trial. The one who robbed your friend was probably an illegal, someone hiding their blood and signal from the police. They aren't the same."

"But minds can change," Cloudtips replied. "They might realize how easy it is to get quick shanix, especially now that weapons are legal…"

"Anyone can realize that," Starscream said. "Your friends can be like that too."

"Hey!" Aceflight growled. "Don't say nothing about our friends."

The hostility spiked up between them again. Starscream gritted his teeth in frustration. "You were just being prejudiced against mine. My point was that you don't know them. It isn't fair of me to judge your friends either, so don't you realize that I feel your anger when you judge mine?"

The red and silver flier cooled. "Okay but…"

"There is nothing to argue."

"They _were_ from a faction that tortured and slaughtered though," Aceflight pressed. "You can't just forget that."

"So you do not forgive them?" Starscream muttered. "What is the point in holding onto these feelings? Autobots are supposed to accept anyone who wants to be good. Nothing good will come from driving them away or locking them up."

 _At least I know that_ I _would not be here, understanding everything that I do if they had._

"Shiloh, Steve, and Valor want to dedicate their lives helping our planet," Starscream continued. "They are facing all the blame and judgement of the world, yet they are still here. They could have just taken jobs in construction, but they wanted to serve and protect."

"But again, they might-"

At the first sign of renewed debate, Starscream turned on his heels and pattered off.

"Hey!" Aceflight protested. "Where are you going? Don't just turn your back on us!"

Starscream went on, sensing them staying back and staring at him with minds still stubbornly thick. They may have loosened up, but they were not ready to realize their own prejudice. He sighed to himself, wondering if Firestar would have known what to say to change them. Perhaps he was being too harsh, forcing them to be defensive.

Yet even though he thought this was the issue, it was hard to have patience with those who couldn't be logical enough to realize their own ignorance.

* * *

Something changed. Starscream did not understand it, but the pair of fliers were displeased with him again. Aceflight in particular was furious, especially whenever he had to watch Starscream take all the attention. He glimpsed Starscream's perfect marks on written tests, and his comments about it showed how he seethed.

"Little perfect student, aren't you?" he muttered. "Bet you have to make Optimus proud."

 _It must be jealousy_ , Starscream thought. _That must be why he is still pestering me_.

Starscream was losing interest in reconciliation since the sheer aggression Aceflight displayed prevented any chance of it. Something about Starscream drove Aceflight into a craze. Cloudtips and Aceflight seemed to have been training hard, but Aceflight was far more rash in the aerial obstacle courses. Over a short amount of time, they had both suddenly learned more advanced moves, but the praise Aceflight got somehow only fueled the tension.

More days passed, and on his way out with the trio of vehicons, Starscream was stopped. Aceflight and Cloudtips dropped from the sky and landed before them.

"You think you're so talented and special." Aceflight jabbed a finger against his chest. "Optimus' student, so open-minded and famous. If you think you're going to be the best Seeker, then don't think it anymore. You've probably just practiced on these obstacles before! I bet someone tutored you. Anyone would be just as good if they had military friends. But I can outfly you! If I choose the place, I could!"

"Why are you so obsessed with me?" Starscream exhaled. "I'm not intentionally challenging you."

"No, 'cause I'm challenging you! Right now."

"This is immature."

"If you don't race me, I will _know_ you're just scared to."

Starscream narrowed his eyes. "That doesn't make sense. I have proven quite well I'm not afraid in our classes."

"I can beat you!" Aceflight growled. "I bet in an open space, _I'm_ faster."

"And how will you feel if I beat you?" Starscream huffed. "You will only be more upset."

"How will you feel if I beat _you_?" he countered.

"You won't. But if you did somehow, I can't see how it would help. It's not like it matters if you are the best in class or not. This isn't a competition."

Shiloh said, "Just race him. This arrogant bot needs to know his place. I hate hearing him go on like he can do all these things he can't."

Aceflight reared on the small vehicon with fire in his eyes. Before he could say a word, Starscream uttered. "Fine. One race. Will you quit it now?"

Steve sighed, "You don't have to indulge him."

"Where did you want to go?" Starscream asked.

"The Acid Wastes." Aceflight puffed out his chest.

It was in the same region as Fort Scyk, in the south-west of Cybertron. It was a scorched land, wrought by crooked structures, corrosive waste, and strange weather phenomenon. It was within flying distance, and obviously Aceflight was searching for fear upon his face. He didn't find what he was looking for.

"Very well," Starscream said.

"I'm coming with you," Valor told him.

Starscream waved his goodbye to Steve and Shiloh before transforming. Cloudtips and Aceflight led the way while the jet vehicon stayed at Starscream's side. It took them less than an hour to arrive to the zone Starscream had heard of, but hadn't seen yet or remembered. The weather was clear at this time, and the setting sun gleaming over the obscure colours of the pools was stunningly beautiful. Bug-eyed creatures slithered into the toxic sludge, and something hopped into a hole where it was dry and rusty as they flew low over the land.

"We'll start at that plateau," Aceflight told them. "We have to weave through the maze down there and reach that field."

It was hardly a maze, but many metal chunks clustered together with gaps between them. Starscream already knew how easy this was going to be. They circled back and landed on the filthy plateau Aceflight had indicated.

"You ready?" he barked.

Starscream poised himself on his sharp legs.

Cloudtips walked out in front of them and raised his arms. When he wordlessly lowered them, Aceflight and Starscream pelted forward. They leapt over the edge and transformed, zooming over the wastes and slicing through the calm air. Aceflight was faster than he expected, but Starscream pulled up ahead and blocked his path. They pulled down as Valor and Cloudtips swept into the sky to watch the race proceed.

Starscream heard his growl of frustration. Aceflight couldn't have liked to be losing already while being watched from above. He tried to escape Starscream's block by ducking down toward the metal walls. Starscream kept his lead and dove into the short maze, still preventing him from squeezing past him. As he spun around the obstacles, he heard Aceflight close behind him but losing distance. Curses were heard from behind, and suddenly Starscream felt a tug of guilt. Valor and Cloudtips were close, flying over the maze and seeing how he was humiliating him.

"It's just a race!" Starscream slowed down slightly to call back. "If we're both going to be Seekers one day, why do you want to fight me?"

Aceflight was uncomfortably silent. Starscream could not imagine the feelings burning up inside him. He sped after Starscream, and he passed him. In front of him, Starscream saw how rash and out of control Aceflight was. The red flier charged the next barrier, turning and just scraping past it.

 _What has gotten into him?_

Starscream sped up and heard himself coming near him again. He rounded a corner to see Aceflight about to dodge another block. The flier was turning sideways again, just as Starscream would have. But he overshot it, and his opposite wing clipped the metal with a shattering bang. Something broke off and hurdled past Starscream. With a wail, Aceflight transformed in panic. The momentum carried his flailing body into the next wall at great speed, and nothing stopped him from cracking into it. There was a thud, then Aceflight fell.

Starscream was already diving down as Cloudtips hollered, "Ace!"

The red flier scraped down the metal and slammed onto dry ground. He had ceased moving after the initial crash, and now he lay still with limbs sprawled out. As Starscream descended with a shaking spark, he saw Aceflight anew. The young flier look so thin and defensiveness. Battered and scraped, he bled out onto the ground as Starscream landed beside him.

Starscream was scared. Desperately, he hoped that his agreement to the pointless race hadn't led to this.

 _Don't let him be dead._

Valor dropped down just as Starscream pressed his hands over a oozing wound. Cloudtips fell down. His voice was no longer steady and deep. It cracked as he moaned, "Oh, Ace…"

The vehicon tried to squeeze together a peeled-open cut. Cloudtips held Aceflight's shoulder.

"Come on, Ace," he whimpered. "Wake up already."

Starscream's spark dropped. His impression of them had not painted the whole picture. Cloudtips was not cold. He no longer seemed calculating and strong when he mourned over the fallen flier. His weakness exposed how close he was to Aceflight, and Starscream realized that the same moments of happiness he felt with his own friends occurred between them as well.

Aceflight stirred, fluttering his red eyes open while emitting a groan.

"Oh, thank Primus," Cloudtips whispered. "You fool."

Valor murmured, "I'm going to call for help."

Aceflight weakly looked over as the vehicon lifted his hands off his cuts to pull out his phone. His head turned to view Starscream bent over him, and he saw the depths of concern in his silver eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured.

Starscream's gaze softened further.

"Why did you do all this?" Cloudtips asked Aceflight. Now, Starscream began to understand the depth of their relationship. They weren't just the pair that caused trouble. They were too, individuals, and they weren't in accordance. That was why Cloudtips had never spoken much in their interactions.

"I'm sorry," Aceflight whined again. "I just… It's like what I was telling you, Cloudy… I feel like I should be much better than I am. It drives me crazy that I'm not as good as I should be."

"But we're learning so fast," he rumbled and held his uninjured wing comfortingly. "You're already so good."

Aceflight closed his eyes and whispered, "I couldn't take it to see him have it so easy while I'm working so hard! I spend so many joors practicing, and the instructor doesn't care about me. No one does like they do with Moonwing."

"I'm sorry you felt this way," Starscream whispered. "That was not my intention."

"It isn't your fault," Aceflight whispered. "You were right, both of you. It's-"

A groundbridge portal opened up beside them. Paramedics hurried through, analyzing the scene as they bore a stretcher.

Calmly, at last, Aceflight sighed, "It's just my problem."

Starscream moved out of the way with Cloudtips as they gathered the crumpled flier. Aceflight disappeared through the portal, and one of the first responders stayed to inquire more about what happened. Cloudtips spoke for them as Starscream flicked the energon off his hands. After everyone had left, Starscream felt absolutely hot with stress and guilt. Hearing the emotion spill from Aceflight's pained mouth gripped him with empathy.

"We shouldn't have been so unfair to you," Cloudtips continued in the next silence. "I agreed with what he said, and I shared his views. We grew up together so… when he feels so strongly about something, I feel like I need to support him. But I must take responsibility too. I am sorry. I hope you can forgive us. Aceflight acts confident, but he struggles with his identity. He always thinks he should be better than he is. He said he should be as good as a Seeker lieutenant, because that's what he feels like he _should_ be, in his spark. Ace is never happy as he is because he never thinks he is good enough."

"I wish I could help him," Starscream murmured. It was true. Hearing the story more profound than he could imagine was tearing him in two. He regretted now being too harsh whenever he had spoken to Aceflight. He should have reached out and been kinder, even in the face of his domineering.

"Let's be kind to one another," Cloudtips said. "I heard what you said to him. And you were right. Seekers shouldn't fight with each other. We're supposed to rely on each other… that way we are strongest."

Those had been the words of Starscream's last surviving lieutenant.

"It is true," Starscream agreed in a sigh.

"We won't bother your friends any longer." Cloudtips then gazed at the energon on Valor's hands and addressed him, "Thank you for helping him."

The vehicon bowed his head.

"Shall we head back then?" Cloudtips offered.

Starscream nodded. "We better."

The sun had already set. As light left the world, the coming chill made the impact of all that had happened ever the more powerful. The pinkness of the sky was fading as stars poked their way into sight. Together, the three ascended into the deepening blackness, soaring away from the wastelands and heading back to the academy. Their minds were filled by change, and their sparks heavy with understanding.

There was no other way for the flight to be completed except in solemn silence.


	17. Chapter 16: The Offer

**Cloudtips and Aceflight are now on Deviantart on the account EmperorKumquat!**

* * *

"Okay, there," Valor decided.

The vehicon fixed a cheap, painted crown on Starscream's head. As he backed away, Starscream adjusted the knot on his chest that was holding up his blanket cape. The chain mesh lay over his back, slipping through his wings and draping over the berth he was sitting on.

Valor hopped out to his front, pointing his cell at him and purring, "Okay, do the thing."

Starscream smirked. This had been going on for months, but this was the most effort Valor had ever put into this. There had been dozens of videos that had been shown to the other vehicons at their club, but none had been in costume. Not that Starscream minded, since after hearing how much he entertained vehicons he did not know, it was worth it. Even if he was exhausted now, he could spare the few minutes for another voice request.

For the camera, Starscream flamboyantly tossed the blanket-cape and dove into a scripted speech. Steve watched, amused and silent behind the scenes. Every second of the act required melodramatic complaining or gestures. Then, at the end of it, Starscream relaxed and looked into the camera.

In a softer voice, he asked, "Is that all you wanted?"

Valor choked with laughter. "Aha yeah, thank you."

Starscream slipped off his crown and bowed with a flourish. The video ended before he set the crown on a side table. As Starscream untied the blanket, he looked back to where Shiloh was out cold on the berth. Starscream pushed his motionless body to the wall, turned on the blanket's warmth, then threw it over the vehicon. He then hopped in beside him, sneaking in as well under the excessively large blanket and pointing his wings away from him.

At some point during the night, Valor had stuck the crown on his wingtip. When he woke for the night lesson, it was dangling off the tip. Starscream sighed with fake exasperation and removed it, looking straight at the vehicon culprit. He knew it could only have been him, since Steve would have died of embarrassment to even consider such a joke.

They proceeded to their morning class as usual. Though at the end of the day, a short break of the semester commenced. It was not a long one, but only a few days. It was a chance to return to Iacon and all he knew there, so Starscream was hurrying back to his dorm to collect his things. He was alone now, for the vehicons had stayed back a while longer to practice shooting in the target hall. They knew he was leaving, but soon they too would head back to their separate homes.

In a field to his left, Starscream glimpsed Cloudtips and Aceflight hollering and wrestling. The larger flier pinned down the smaller, and Aceflight wiggled and laughed. Starscream passed, but noted it was good to see him active, although it had been long since he had returned to physical activities. After his repairs, Aceflight had returned to the sky after only a brief period away.

"Hey, Chief !" Cloudtips grinned and pressed his forearm down on Aceflight's throat. "Are you leaving?"

Starscream turned. Aceflight tapped the blue flier for release. Once he could speak, he called, "Wait! Before you go, do you have time to show me some more upside-down tricks? Just to practice over the break while you're gone."

"Alright." He knew it wouldn't take long. "I'll be back."

Starscream made it to his room and shoved a few things into his cockpit. Then, he flew back to the field to collect the two Newsparks. Together, the pair followed Starscream as he took the lead. They zipped off campus for privacy, and lifted high up into the first layer of clouds. Starscream demonstrated what he had them practicing for a while now, and they copied the moves perfectly. Spark high with pride, he gave them a new move.

For several minutes, they practiced following Starscream and completing the same move. Although the flying students had not practiced many group movements in the calisthenics, Cloudtips and Aceflight had never had any issue following Starscream. It came naturally to them, as though they had done it before. They were such fast learners that Starscream could not believe that they were as young as they were.

They tore back to the field. The blue flier and the red one left him, allowing Starscream to go directly to the groundbridge station. There, he paid and made the leap across the planet only minutes after leaving the pair. It was quite a strange feeling, stepping into the northern capital and knowing seconds ago, he had just been in another timezone in the other hemisphere. His friends were still there, but so far away that Starscream could hardly grasp it.

Starscream pelted off, running through the streets even if his jogging never stopped bots from looking at him oddly. He didn't care. The stretch of his legs eating up distance was satisfying. When he felt the ease of the run, he felt overpowered by strength and flooded by happiness. Starscream galloped to the Square, knowing that it was a no-fly zone regardless, unforgiving of anything that could be perceived as an attack on the important bots of the High Tower.

The Elite Guards recognized Starscream and warmly welcomed him back. Nowadays, he could recall some names and greet them back properly. It had been a process since his early shy days as Moonwing. Starscream rushed up the stairs to the highest floor, pushing the button for the door to split and let him through. He padded to Optimus' door and heard excited yipping from down the hall. Bulkhead's pet had heard his familiar footsteps, but it seemed he was not home to let her out.

But one door did open. The one who had been disturbed was High Council member and Optimus' old friend, Jazz. He was checking to see what had caused the ruckus. He caught Starscream typing in the combination to unlock Optimus' door, and he called, "He isn't around right now!"

Starscream finished the password with quick taps. "Where is he?"

"Doing some business in Vos."

"In Vos?" Starscream turned his head. He was surprised that Optimus would have anything to do in the capital of the Air Command, but he was thankful that Jazz was being so friendly to him. That he trusted him enough to give him the information. From his few encounters with Jazz though, he knew he was an extremely laid-back bot, more understanding and forgiving than the others.

"Yeah, with Arcee. He may have said he doesn't want to lead Cybertron, but he certainly acts like any other High Council member. And gets the same treatment."

"Have I missed something?" Starscream wondered, since he had been too busy to keep up with the news.

"Oh, well, nothing too big. The Seekers working in Predacon Valley have been clashing with the residents. Predaking's with Jetfire, Optimus, and Arcee, trying to work out a solution."

Starscream nodded, thinking back to what he had heard and seen in his one visit to the Predacon district. It seemed that all the Seekers apart from the merry Sunchaser had detested the Predacons. Perhaps it had to do with the racism that one Predacon had mentioned.

But then Jazz nodded, "Going to be a hard one though. Can't work around the law about animal protection."

His eyes constricted. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"So you really heard nothing then? Ah, there's been a few animals killed there."

"Was it the White Dragon?" Starscream asked.

"Apparently not. Different Predacons were spotted carrying the bodies. And when asked about it, they rambled on about some strange ideology."

Jazz, being one of the world's leaders, surely knew more. Starscream prompted, "But it is illegal to intentionally harm animals. How did they attempt to defend themselves?"

"They said, 'If Primus didn't want us to consume the animals, why were we given fangs, claws, and fire? The organs to filter parts from energon?'. Of course, this idea is dangerous. And there's no need to unnecessarily hurt the animals when the Valley is filled with energon fountains. It's some cruel sport that Optimus and the High Council want to stop immediately."

The turbofox was still yapping down the hall. Starscream held his arms, the unease and sorrow easy to see in his eyes. Even if he knew that he had once killed his own kind for a sort of sick sport, his entertainment, all of his spark felt how wrong this now was.

"That's awful," he murmured.

"I'm sure Arcee and Optimus will put an end to it."

Starscream had faith in them. He said a polite goodbye to Jazz and dropped off everything but his phone in Optimus' apartment. At least he would know he had been here if he was too busy to get his message. Then, Starscream headed off, knowing of which friends were available at this time. He dropped in to a few places, then flew over to Knockout's for the night.

"I didn't think you would come so soon," Knockout grinned at his arrival.

"Optimus wasn't around," Starscream explained. "He's busy."

"So you would rather hang out with him than with me?"

"No, but, I haven't been contacting him enough these past months. He might appreciate seeing how I am and know how I am progressing."

"Since you've been getting more memories back?"

"Essentially. Training to be a Seeker is bringing back some very old memories of my first training experience. But most importantly, I am remembering some missions during the War for Cybertron. I keep dreaming of my old lieutenants and the things I did with them."

"How're the headaches?"

" _Terrible_ ," Starscream affirmed. "But fortunately, the vehicons wake me up during the nightmares, sparing me the pain and the misery."

Knockout led him to the private room where they usually watched movies. Curious, he implored, "Don't you want to have your memories back?"

Starscream sighed, "The truth is, not really. It's hard enough knowing vaguely about all the bad things I have done. Every time I hear the name _Starscream_ in the news or wherever else, it is hard to accept that it is me."

"Thought so. You're wishing that you hadn't done all that."

"But of course, I am what I am, and the memories verify that. They come against my will, but I just wish I didn't have to see my crimes all over again. The worst part is that I remember how those memories made me feel. Sometimes, those feelings seem so justified that I have to fight myself, convince myself to think clearly like Optimus would. Overall, I just feel sick."

Starscream sighed.

"But I do just want the Trial over and done with."

"Ah. Well, I can't really help you." Knockout shrugged. "It seems like you're taking everything at a tolerable pace and coming out on top. It just has to be done."

"I can manage with my friends," Starscream agreed. "They keep me from suffering too greatly."

Knockout prepared them for another movie viewing. Starscream sat on the metal couch and waited for him to join him. As Knockout tried to skip through an Earth advertisement, Starscream briefly gazed at his phone. Then, he shut it off to begin to watch the movie. Knockout had picked out something popular on Earth, not horror this time, since usually they explored genres. But Starscream propped his elbow up on the arm of the couch, setting his head into his hand, staring at the dragons of the movie with discomfort. He shut his eyes on the scenes where humans were terrorized, fleeing and screaming while flames consumed their homes.

"You're quieter than usual." Knockout watched him while the movie played in the background. "Something to do with our conversation?"

"No," Starscream replied softly. "Not that. I just heard about the Predacons when I came back."

"What about them?"

"Jazz told me some Predacons have killed animals in their district."

"Oh, that." Knockout lowered his brows. "Everyone's worried about that, although they've been trying to be hush-hush about it. But everyone knows the Predacons might not see much of a difference between us and the animals. I understand why you're worried."

"Mm."

"Well then, we can just watch something else."

Starscream nodded.

"How about something to scare and distract you?" Knockout suggested. "I know you don't like ghost movies."

"That isn't true!" Starscream immediately protested, forgetting all that had just bothered him.

"Oh you liar. I see how freaked out you get when things move on their own! Or when shadows creep up on-"

There was a bundle of chains put together like a pillow, which Starscream snatched and threw at Knockout's face.

"I am _not_ afraid of human ghost movies," he growled, but his spark was light to switch subjects. "I only think of other things that scare me while I am watching."

Knockout leaned over the pillow now in his lap. "Yeah? Like spooky, scary Megatron, creeping up on you?"

"Please, you can _hear_ Megatron coming."

"Well, even if you hear him, there's nothing you can do." Knockout then smirked. "What if he comes up on you while you're deep in recharge? No one knows where he is. Maybe he will find your signal, come into your room, stand in the shadows…"

"What would he want with me?" Starscream wretched the pillow from his grasp, then smashed it against his face again. "They don't think he's on Cybertron anymore. He has better things to do."

"Hey, watch the paint!" Knockout tossed the pillow behind him on the floor. "That's not made out of feathers, you know!"

He brushed at his face, checking for any scratches while Starscream stared, eyes half-closed in humour. Then Knockout said, "But yes, as you said, the big M's probably not around. I doubt he even cares about what you're up to."

"I prefer it that way."

Knockout laughed. "So, are we going to watch the movie or not? Or are you too scared?"

Starscream huffed dramatically. Yet he was happy that they had moved past everything.

"Fine, doctor. Stow the gab and put it on already."

* * *

Starscream had slept over at Knockout's and had left by morning. He went straight back to his home, glad to find Optimus there.

After greeting him, Starscream murmured, "I heard about what happened. What was the result of the meeting?"

Optimus seemed surprised by his question, but answered, "Predaking will allow the Seekers to apprehend any Predacon who breaks the law, even by force."

Starscream bowed his head. He was glad that Predaking agreed with them. Despite how his massive draconic form was still hunting Starscream in his memories, Predaking could not be as bad as he was tempted to believe.

"I am glad that he views the issue with as much intolerance as you," Starscream replied.

As Optimus did not seem busy now, he sat down with him and told him about how his life had been going. He admitted everything recent, since Optimus had already heard about Aceflight from him. Instead, Starscream told him of the memories he remembered and how he felt about them. He explained that he was only beginning to touch upon the goriest of memories, but was spared from the worst horror since he never slept alone.

It was not long until the meeting of the High Council, Sky Commander, and Predaking was discussed on the news. Now that he had more time, Starscream watched it for a while as he soaked up the calm of Optimus' company. Then, he decided he should go do something active. He thought through some activities, then was tempted to go back to the climbing gym.

Starscream imagined himself weaving through the obstacles. He was stronger now from all the weightlifting, yet he didn't want to crash into Arcee there. The last thing he wanted was for her to think that he was stalking her.

He headed off alone, but stopped when he found Smokescreen in the hall. Excited to see him after some time, he jogged over to speak with him. They spoke about training, and Smokescreen launched into a quick story about his own time training during the War. The elevator opened, and Starscream glanced back as Smokescreen spoke. Arcee appeared, startling Starscream since her cold expression had just been in his mind.

She had Spring on a leash. The turbofox scrambled to get to Starscream, launching them into a tense situation that Starscream hadn't had to encounter before. Never had he bumped into Arcee with Spring like this. Arcee tried to keep her face neutral, but her eyebrows turned down slightly as the turbofox yanked to get to Starscream. Begrudgingly, she let the animal swirl around Starscream's feet. Smokescreen stopped his story, catching onto the tension.

Starscream felt so awkward that he couldn't reach down to pet Spring. No matter. She threw herself against Smokescreen, shook out her plated tail, then trotted down the hall. Such a creature never wanted to stay still. Arcee moved on, face still rigid, and Starscream started to imagine how stern she had been at the meeting. Without a doubt, she had stood up to Predaking without breaking.

Since she must have just finished exercising, Starscream assumed it was safe to go to her favourite climbing gym. He finished speaking with Smokescreen, checking his face all the while to make sure there was no lasting scar from his fight with the frenzied, ancient Predacon. To his relief, there was no trace that there had ever been a cut.

Starscream went to the climbing gym and found himself vastly more skilled than before, hands clapping onto the bars and holds, his slender body weaving around the obstacles. He enjoyed it so much that he couldn't resist the urge to return the next day.

 _If I see Arcee_ … Starscream still wasn't sure what he would do. He had paid, so he didn't want to leave. Leaving could seem suspicious as well.

Starscream did not see her at the climbing gym the next day, but he did meet her that night. He had just had a long visit in Kalis with Carnation, catching up, flying with him, and then flying back home. He was dragging himself up the stairs when he heard quick footsteps jogging down. It was Arcee, the only other bot Starscream knew of who used the stairs for fitness.

She halted at the top of one of the turns.

"What have you been doing at the climbing gym?" she muttered.

Starscream was surprised by the accusation. "Climbing," he answered, knowing better to be sarcastic. "I hope you don't believe I am following you. I just enjoy the activity and tried to go on my own…"

 _Was she there? No, I was looking for her. It must have been that staff member she's friends with who told her._

He wanted to keep going, but it didn't feel right to move in her direction when she wasn't moving.

"There is something I want to ask you," she said suddenly, abandoning the previous subject.

Starscream tilted his head back. "What is it?"

He couldn't think of any information that he could provide her. She was the High Council member, and he was still just a student.

"Do you remember what you have done?"

The question could only make him furrow his eyebrows. "I remembered a few unpleasant events but… which one are you referring to?"

Arcee glared. "So you don't remember."

Starscream's faced was painted with further confusion. Why did she want him to remember something terrible?

"Did I hurt you?" he asked. It was clear that he had done something to her, probably recently on Earth. She seemed to always be holding her hatred in.

Arcee took the stairs, each foot stealing one away from the distance between them.

"Yes," she uttered. "You did."

His mind burned. His eyes searched her, looking for a place that he might have injured her. Starscream's eyes caught her side, above the hip. He suddenly recalled a plan, some acting, all to bring her close to his claws.

"I scratched you, there," Starscream murmured, lifting a finger.

"That isn't what I am talking about."

Starscream took a step back. He didn't want to ask more. His mind was already feeling scorched, searching for a memory. He remembered a fight between them, but he couldn't find what she was looking for.

"What did I do to you?" Starscream whispered. He rocked back in confusion, in growing fear. With the bitterness and ice in her voice, he did not want to be close to her.

"Not to me." Arcee stopped two steps away from him. "You killed my partner."

 _Why is she telling me this?_ Starscream's twitching wings finally dropped.

"I'm sorry, I don't remem-"

"You should."

 _Why should I?_ Her growing anger confused him further. And the more confused he became, the more his mind hurt, and the more he was afraid.

"Cliffjumper," she uttered.

His eyes widened. "Who is…"

Then he recovered some pieces of memories. He was on Cybertron, and he had caught a red bot with Arcee. They had been meddling with something, they escaped-

But that wasn't it. No, he passed over these memories and found himself on Earth. He knew it was Earth, since he had been looking out the window of the _Nemesis_ at a dirt-covered terrain. He watched an explosion coloured with striking blue, and soon after he heard the arrival of a group behind him.

Arcee watched his pupils narrow and widen, trying to make sense of something. She saw how his confusion blankened and soon transformed to shock. Starscream had found and was living through the memory. She kept her mouth shut to let it happen.

"I… I did kill him."

Starscream ventilated as he tried to put together what he saw in his mind's eye.

"We captured him. I might have interrogated him, but he had mocked me. In my rage, I decided to kill him personally. He was battered and injured, coughing energon. I-I don't know why, and I wish I could stop myself… but… with my fingers, I stabbed through his chest-"

The explanation cut off into a cry when Arcee clacked her fist into his face. With black vision, Starscream lost his balance, but managed to catch the railing as his mind throbbed. The area around his left eye stung, dented, but Starscream saw her face when he opened his eyes again. The winglets on her back were up, flared with aggression, and her teeth bared. Yet she did not advance.

As Starscream covered his injury with a hand, afraid to press, he saw Arcee's eyes fill with regret. Perhaps not for his pain, but since she should have contained herself.

 _Don't feel bad_ , Starscream thought. _What was I thinking, saying all that? She didn't need to hear how he was killed._

"I shouldn't have said that," he whispered.

She stood there, and he knew she was conflicted.

 _What did she want?_ he wondered again. _She didn't want to know the details, yet she wanted me to remember…_

Yet the memory was breaking him. He couldn't understand that he had been so cruel, driving his hand into the organs of a helpless victim. A wave of overwhelming guilt slapped him as he realized what it felt like to love a friend. He hadn't understood that then. But now, he knew he had stolen someone important from Arcee.

"Ar-cee," he choked. "I am sorry…"

The pain of the punch made it hard to think, but he had the feeling she had pulled back her punch at the last moment. Her face said it. She had not stopped him here just to hurt him.

"If I could do anything for you, I would…"

 _But..._

"But nothing can make up for the death of someone."

He felt blood on his palm. Starscream turned and trudged down the stairs, wings fixed in the lowest position they could go. Her eyes widened as she watched him go back the way he had come.

His parting words were, "I will not tell Optimus."

Starscream retreated back to Knockout's, where he could have his face fixed and drown in his emotions.

* * *

"Chief," Cloudtips said. "Why are you looking so down?"

Days couldn't erase the pain of his guilt. As they stood on the track, Starscream shrugged as the jet vehicon and Aceflight stared at his face.

"Are you sick?" Aceflight asked.

Starscream shook his head. He didn't have time to respond anyway, since the flight instructor landed before the separated group of flying students. Soon after him, a silver jet descended into the training ground. Two of the other students already recognized the guest, and they raised their wings high while shooting up straight. Starscream glanced up and recognized him too from the news, but felt no enthusiasm.

"Everyone of you must know who this is." The instructor lifted a finger. "This is Air Commander Silverbolt of Vos. You will all have to know the names of Cybertron's Air Commanders when you become Seekers."

There was no _if_ in that statement. As everyone else assumed, a biped with wings wanted nothing else but to be a Seeker. It was still a common expectation on Cybertron because of historical roles.

Starscream didn't want to think now, but his head was gripped in feverish pain. He knew that Silverbolt had definitely never been a Decepticon. Some hazy memories appeared, telling him that they had clashed in fights during the War.

 _Does he know about me?_ Starscream peeked at him with weary eyes. However, Silverbolt was giving him no more attention than the other students he looked over.

 _Would Optimus have informed all of the Air Commanders?_

Silverbolt announced for himself, "I am here today to evaluate the training methods for our young Seekers."

The students were furled up in anxiety. Almost all of them were beginners who gently navigated around obstacles. They seemed nervous now, but Starscream thought the instructor was the one who should be the most worried about judgement.

The instructor did not seem intimidated, only honoured that Silverbolt had come.

"Cheer up, Moony," Aceflight whispered and swiped his hand over Starscream's face. "You have to concentrate."

Valor touched his shoulder. Starscream blinked, trying to clear his vision. He just couldn't find the energy to hurl himself into any obstacle course like this.

"Come on," Aceflight jested. "Do you want Silverbolt to think I'm better than you?"

They flew to the flight training grounds, where Aceflight was the first to be called up. Starscream watched him cheerfully racing through the obstacles, displaying everything he had learned on his own or from Starscream. He rolled sideways and upside-down, dodging without veering into walls. It was the first time he had seen Aceflight fly since the break ended.

 _He was practicing_. A smile dared to crack across Starscream's face.

"Watch out," Cloudtips jibed, tapping him. "Show him who's boss."

Aceflight had landed and just heard the last comment. " _Chief_ ," he corrected. "I thought that was our nickname for him."

Seeing that Starscream was beginning to smile, Aceflight pointed to his black body and continued, "Along with Moon, Moony, and Night Demon Terror of the Skies."

"Moonwing!" the instructor called warmly. Starscream looked over, a fresh smile still on his face. "Show Silverbolt what you can do."

His mind was cleared temporarily of its pain. With a burst of energy, Starscream jumped into the air, withholding a chuckle as he remembered the last name he had been given. He was suddenly proud of the work Knockout had done on his body. Tearing through the obstacle course with aweinspiring speed, Starscream relished the gleam of his velvety black body and the lightning flashes of his silver edges as he streaked by. He felt rapture, victorious, as he cut seconds and transformed, grabbing and swinging off the obstacles when necessary. The course had been thoroughly dominated by the time Starscream landed and perked his gleaming wings.

Silverbolt turned to the instructor and loudly announced, "You have some exceptional first-years."

"It is hardly anything I've taught them," he replied honestly. "They practiced beforehand, accomplishing moves intended for intermediate and advanced students."

"Indeed," the Air Commander agreed.

When he looked at Starscream pleasantly, it became clear that Silverbolt did not know it was him.

The Air Commander watched the entirety of the class before he took his leave. While his appearance had been impressive, it did not seem like more would come out of this. Starscream did not know how important the day had been, for it was impossible to have known. There were more unusual things in his life now, such as the scripts Valor had been giving him weekly.

Starscream lay by the studying vehicons, peering over their notes. Valor had asked him what was bothering him, but he couldn't explain it to him. He only told Shiloh and Steve later about remembering Cliffjumper. Valor merely left him alone, daring not to demand more acting from him for now. And now that his brief period of lightheartedness had passed, after his flight for Silverbolt, Starscream's lowered wings showed his continued sadness.

Valor had put the blanket over his back. It was warm and on him now as Starscream watched them with his chin on his arms. Starscream's phone blinged, as it only did when he received a message through his school account. Without rushing, Starscream dragged his cell off the side table to him. He lazily read the message that was surely important.

 _Cadet Moonwing,_

 _The Air Command is in short supply of Seekers and is planning a fast training program for talented students. The goal is to skip stellar cycles of training, instead providing a short period of intensive study with instant practical training in the field._

 _We have been watching students and you have been chosen for the tentative program. After you complete your first session, you may proceed into the new Seeker program if you wish. Message me back if you are interested, and I will provide you with the requirements._

- _Air Commander Silverbolt_

 _Vos Air Command_

Starscream hollered and jumped to his feet on the bed. The blanket slid off his shoulders into a heap. The vehicons leapt, scrambling to stand as well.

"What is it?" Shiloh demanded.

"Silverbolt," Starscream stammered. "I have been given an offer to begin Seeker training, next semester!"

"What?" Valor cried. "Really? That is amazing! Oh, you deserve it!"

Steve clasped his hands together, gazing up in elation.

"Too good to stay," Shiloh chuckled. "Of course you're going to accept the offer, right?"

Before he could answer, Starscream's phone rang. With a glance down, he saw that it was Aceflight.

"I think I know what happened," Starscream chuckled as well, then answered him.

"Moonwing!" Aceflight shrieked loud enough that everyone could hear him. "Thank Primus you cheered up enough for your flight today. I _know_ you just got the same copy-'n-paste message from Silverbolt as me and Cloudtips!"

"Yes, yes," Starscream affirmed, though it was hard to get a word in with his excitement.

"This stellar cycle!" Aceflight cried through the phone. "We're gonna be out there flying missions- we're going to be Seekers!"

"Seekers _in training_ -"

"Ooooh! Do you know what this means? We might go to Vos! All because of what he saw today, us flying- our potential was recognized!"

"You two _are_ talented," Starscream assured him.

"I can't wait." Aceflight tried to calm himself, and now they could hear Cloudtips chuckling behind him. "Thank you for the help, Moon. I can't wait to do missions with you!"

"Likewise," he smiled.

How could he try to remember his sorrow now, with this news? Starscream lay back down, the phone lying on the berth since Aceflight was far too loud. He listened to the young flier, and Starscream could only be happy now with the realization that sooner, he could start giving back to Cybertron.

"What do you think we'll do first? Oh I can't _wait_ to have the awesome blasters installed in me!"

Starscream crossed his arms behind his head, and continued to listen with a smile plastered upon his face.

* * *

On the next day off they had, Starscream was summoned with Cloudtips and Aceflight to Vos. Even he could not stop quivering like the Newsparks at the thought of going to the Seeker capital. Hearing the city's name clenched Starscream with an emotion that was difficult to define until he arrived. Once he flew in, slapped by the sights of incredibly tall buildings crowding the land, he understood.

From the past, homesickness was lapping his spark like a cold wave. The city had been destroyed long ago, rendered to ash on the ground. Yet now, the buildings cut up into the clouds once again. Although many were under construction and the city was filled with the clanging and drilling, it was enough. Past and present combined, both screaming internally with joy.

 _Vos stands again!_

They came to the given address, landing on the street. First they looked up at the buildings and Seekers high above them, eyes sparkling. Then, they entered the place for weaponry, providing the signed approval of Silverbolt to the employee.

Although they were still first-years, they had been permitted to have the standard, high-powered null rays of Seekers. It took hours to install them into their bodies, but then they were allowed to test them, transforming their arms and firing at targets in the back of the business. Red lights flashed across the room, striking the mannequins and scorching them. The electrical shock could not be seen gripping the unliving models, yet Aceflight cackled regardless.

"Whoa-oh!" Aceflight cried. "Watch out now!"

After gaining their blasters, they headed off for their next task. Starscream had to admit, with the null rays, he felt powerful flying in the air. He could strike and shock anyone out of the sky and rip chaos into anyone on the ground. He understood now how tempting it had been in the past, to want to feel superior. If the targets had been as unliving as the mannequins, then he would have gladly attacked them now.

The trio signed up for the intense combat training classes. They would be long and compact, taking up their time once the academy semester ended. But if it meant skipping the years, Starscream did not care. It only guaranteed that he wouldn't be having any other jobs anymore.

The only thing left to do now was to collect the study material that they would need to know. All this had been packaged for them, ready to collect in the form of a light Datapad. Despite the small size, they knew that the amount they had to study was as daunting as a thick Earth textbook being slapped in front of a teenager. Impatient, they immediately took a peek at some of the listed subjects.

"History?" Aceflight complained. "Come on, how is Seeker _history_ going to help us fight better?"

Starscream was apprehensive. There was no doubt that he had lived this history, and the studying was going to bring up some memories. Pain would come, nightmares, and crushing guilt.

 _I can't change what happened,_ he told himself. _However,_ _I need to face it. There is no hiding from it._

"I like history," he announced. "I know a lot about it, and I can help you find a fun way to remember it."

"Oh, thanks," Aceflight replied. "Yeah, I think we should study everything together. We can test each other..."

"The section about formations seems very important," Cloudtips said. "If we study it first, we can have time to practice in the air."

"Right, so we can pass the physical exam," Aceflight agreed. "We have to know all that, or they'll never let us skip ahead."

Starscream bit back the words _I can also help you with that_. He knew that this knowledge was all within him and would come back with just a glance at the titles. But it would be suspicious if he knew everything, when he was supposed to be a Newspark like them. Besides, he couldn't insult Aceflight again just as they started to respect him.

"We have to learn the code language and Cybertronian Sign Language," Cloudtips pointed out. "And Silverbolt wanted us to get the basics of one minority language."

Since it was a choice, it was not in the book. Starscream said, "I know Cyclonian and I have been practicing some other languages for a while now."

"Cyclonian? Ick." Aceflight scrunched up his face. "Why that scrap language? Something else please."

Cloudtips, as usual, cut to the point. "Where should we meet to study?"

"Didn't we agree on Altihex?" Aceflight said.

They both lived near the Iacon area. Either city worked, but Cloudtips replied, "Knowing you, our 'study breaks' would be grabbing drinks and watching comedians. We better not."

"Meet me in Iacon then," Starscream told them. "Perhaps I can get the permission to have you come into the High Tower."

"What! Really?" Aceflight chirped. "They'll let us see the inside? Will we see Team Prime?"

Starscream smirked. "Yes, if they let you in. You will see them."

"So like Bulkhead-"

Aceflight stood on the tips of his feet and curved out his arms, representing his mass. Despite his scrawny body, he pretended to lumber on heavy feet. Then he straightened up and raised his chin.

"Or Ultra Magnus."

Then he scowled and wagged his finger at them.

"Ratchet."

The red flier was just miming pulling out twin swords from his back. Cloudtips shoved him. "We get it, you winged goofball."

Aceflight looked at Starscream with excitement. "So will we meet Optimus Prime?"

"If I can let you in, you can study with me in his home."

At Aceflight's whoop, Seekers walking by looked over at the group. Since they lacked the insignia of Seekers, they assumed they were hyper, Newspark tourists. After all, all that they had on their chests were plain Autobot symbols, which lacked the lines around them that represented wings.

But soon, very soon, that was going to change. After this intense period of study, they would begin practical missions, even if small ones. Perhaps it would be long before they would fight, take on dangerous arrests, but they would soon fly search missions. Starscream assumed that was what they would begin with, since it was a lightweight task yet an important one given to Seekers since the beginning of the Air Command's history.

There had, anyway, been plenty of missing bot cases due to suspected Decepticon activity. Starscream suddenly daydreamed, imagining himself with a team, recovering a captive, and bringing the victim back into the light of the world. He closed his fists, forgetting his past again as he saw into the future with such excitement.

 _It won't be long now before I can be a hero._

"Oooo," Aceflight squealed, hugging the Datapad to his chest. "Next semester won't be next semester. We'll be here, waiting for commands and flying out all over Cybertron! Living in Vos! Who knows where we'll go, what we'll see… Aha! All our skills, paying off at last! This is going to be so much fun!"


	18. Chapter 17: The Calm Before the Storm

"I knew it would not take you long," Carnation purred. His face was unreadable, but Starscream knew the silver jet vehicon was staring at him with pride.

His prediction long ago had been correct. Starscream had told him and everyone else that after just one year, he was advancing into an intensive program. Of course, Carnation had confidence that it wouldn't stop there.

"You will soon find your place," the vehicon affirmed. "And this time, it will be different."

Starscream remembered all his past discussions with his former subordinate. He knew a serious, new chapter was opening up in his life. It was certain that soon he would be climbing up the chain of command, latching onto each opportunity he found. He was stronger now in both body and mind, ready to take on the challenge. For now, in this new stage, at least he wouldn't have to say farewell. Besides flying out to Vos for combat training, he could spent this half year at home.

He had been granted permission to take the two fliers inside the High Tower, so long as they were scanned for hazards like poison or bombs when they entered. Both were struck with awe, though Aceflight was more vocal about it. Starscream sighed in amusement when they encountered the other residents, but at least Starscream could show the Autobots how he was with friends. Most of them couldn't see first hand how he treated them, until now. It was like he was bringing two parts of his life together in doing so.

If they stumbled across Ultra Magnus, they went rigid and saluted. Starscream couldn't help but be entertained. His previous memory of Ultra Magnus attacking him in his innocence lost more of its shock. Now, Ultra Magnus could be part of a joke among them. When no one was watching, Aceflight would copy how he had stalked by them, eyes sharp and arms stretching out and up to mime the commander's enormous shoulder pads. Had he tried to impersonate Arcee, however, Starscream felt his insides screw up. It was hard to stop Aceflight without revealing the tension between him and her.

For in the time that passed, the air buzzed from the silence. Starscream said nothing if she passed, and neither did she. Speaking might have made the situation worse regardless.

When they trapped themselves in a room for study, the fliers crowded onto one berth with their Datapads. This was essentially how they lived their lives for a while. They did the practice tests together, talking over the subjects and explaining them. If Optimus was around, Starscream was glad to have him watching. It was a good impression, for him to see Starscream teaching the younger fliers about what he already knew. Even with history lessons, despite the headaches and stress, Starscream enjoyed that his memories had some purpose. Aceflight even made enough jokes about history that the nightmares came seldom to Starscream afterwards.

For exercise, they flew together to Vos for fight training. There, they met the other twenty-five flying Cybertronians that had been selected from different academies for the program. For practice, they were grouped into teams of seven, which was convenient and ideal. Over time, the groups started to become permanent as they got used to each other. Starscream had not had much choice in it, having four strangers tacked to his group of three. Yet from the start, the instructor had understood that Starscream had the qualities to lead. He was bid to take charge of the six after the instructor experimented switching them around. No one else worked as well as the point-flier as Starscream.

Starscream had grasped the names of most of the twenty-seven other students, but he knew nothing about them. He soon realized if he was to lead this team, likely into the real practical training coming soon, he would need to know more about his members. Cloudtips and Aceflight were already familiar to him; they were a calculating and efficient bot, and a jokester, both of which could be relied upon. The other four had qualities that Starscream still needed to discover.

Starscream suggested that they study together in a place convenient for them all. From the study sessions, his observations, and the conversations between them, he learned the basic descriptions of his assigned team.

For the next study session, the seven fliers came to a library in Vos. The tallest of them, Twilight, was always punctual. She was orange and purple, legs and neck tall, with wings naturally fixed down. Everything about her, from her steps and note-taking, was precise. She was the most studious of them all, and a great help in explanations.

Twilight and one other flier were the only ones he could tolerate. Soft Breeze was downy gray, with a strong, triangular upper body. He was everything he needed to be: kind, diligent, and willing to listen to all commands of Starscream and the instructor. The rest in his group drove Starscream into a state of impatience, which he swallowed back. If he was to be stuck as their point-flier, he needed to learn how to work with them.

There was a flier that Starscream thought was essentially a clone of Knockout, but with wings. He was more dainty however, with a toothpick body and wings thin like needles. Comet was stunning, coloured with black and red that glowed like the setting sun. He was frustrating during training, aghast if he became scratched. The only good that came out of it was that he was exceptional at dodging in his desperation to protect his finish.

Charred Mist was unpopular, except with Soft Breeze, who could emphasize with and love all of them. No one could understand why Charred Mist had been chosen for the intensive program. He was shy and quiet, throwing weak blows in combat training. The instructor was always hollering at him, but Charred Mist never hit a target with any sense of strength. When fighting others, he was so gentle and easy to knock down.

"Charred Mist!" The instructor's screech was common. "Hit like you mean it!"

"But I don't want to hurt him!" Charred Mist would hold onto his thin arms, looking at whatever opponent he was fighting. "He isn't my enemy!"

"Trust me," Aceflight whispered near Starscream, rolling his eyes. "He isn't strong enough to hurt anybody even if he tried."

Watching the other students boxing with vigor made Starscream long for another team. In his past life, he had led Seeker Lieutenants. He had not needed to deal with Seekers as flimsy as Comet and Charred Mist.

Still, they were invited to study with them. No one in the group struggled in memorizing the material, so at least he knew his team was intelligent. Nevertheless, Aceflight complained about many subjects.

"By the Allspark, so much geography!" He fell back in his chair.

Twilight looked up, expression cool. "Seekers have to know geography better than anyone else."

"He isn't complaining," Cloudtips defended him. "He just likes to run his mouth and hear himself talk."

Comet stopped to examine the points of his fingers.

Starscream leaned forward to connect his Datapad to the desk and project a hologram of the planet up.

"It isn't hard at all," he explained. "Look here. Think of the new Sky Rails as a pathfinder and follow them. It's a scenic route, so you can just imagine that you can see all the coolest sights of Cybertron on it. If the rail starts in Kalis…" Starscream drew a line down the planet, curving wherever necessary. "It passes by the Well of Allsparks, the Sonic Canyons, you can see the Manganese Mountains, the Hydrax Plateau… then the Acid Wastes, Darkmount, the Badlands…"

Cloudtips said, "We could take a trip. It would allow us to practice long flight routes, and geography."

Twilight said, "We have to be able to spot small things on the ground. We could practice that along the way."

"We could try different formations too," Cloudtips added. "Moonwing can call them out."

"Across the planet?" Comet hummed.

"A Seeker is used to long distances." Starscream looked to him, testing to see if the vain flier would protest.

"I know." Comet shrugged. "I love flying. I was just thinking that we'll need to take a lot of energon with us."

Starscream was surprised and relieved that his group wasn't opposed to the idea. He had just been about to wonder if Comet was even willing to be a Seeker.

"Then let's meet where the Sky Rails begin," Starscream decided. "We will leave at dawn."

* * *

Starscream paced the area, where Twilight was the first to arrive. She dipped her head respectfully, then the purple and orange jet waited for the rest. Cloudtips thundered in with Aceflight zipping at his side. Charred Mist came next. When the smallest of the team landed, Starscream swept him to the side with him.

He asked, "Can you handle the flight?"

Charred Mist gasped, "What? Of course I can!"

Starscream wasn't so sure, since he had been so quiet yesterday. Valor, although untrained, seemed more competent then this delicate flier. Not to think of insulting vehicons, but Valor seemed more eligible for the intensive program than Charred Mist at the moment.

"I was only inquiring," Starscream said.

Charred Mist put his hands on his curvy waist. "Moonwing, I know I don't look any good in class. But please, trust me. I would never let any of my fellow Seekers down. When the time comes, I will show you what I can do."

His pumpkin-orange eyes shined with determination. The glow was strong, and suddenly Starscream regretted judging him.

"I trust you," he decided.

The black and rust-coloured flier smiled at him.

Comet arrived next, fresh as though his recent polishing gave him energy. Soft Breeze came last, although not late. Starscream was pleased with the Newspark fliers for taking the meeting seriously. They stood in a V behind him, bright and excited for the flight. Even Twilight was relaxed, looking forward to the journey.

Starscream raced forward and transformed, and the six fliers followed him. It had been ages since he had enjoyed a long flight across Cybertron, but he was ready for it. His body was free of aches, and as they scanned the distant ground, he called out maneuvers. Energetically, Starscream moved as though he was being attacked. Not one of them stumbled, but they smoothly glided to where Starscream would have needed them to be.

 _They are talented_ , he realized now for certain. Every one of them, even Comet and Charred Mist, had the instinct of where to go.

As they crossed a large expanse between cities, they searched for life in the field.

"Aw, look!" Soft Breeze cried. There was a cluster of four-legged creatures galloping below. They were small from their vantage point, but Soft breeze trilled, "Zap ponies!"

"Go hug one then," Comet teased from behind him.

"The name is enough to explain why that is a bad idea," Twilight called.

"No, they only zap if they're scared," Soft Breeze protested. "I know how to approach them."

But it was a sharp find. All of them seemed skilled at detecting things on the ground. From holes to moving creatures, they could catch sight of them and name what they were.

They took a break once they had travelled halfway across the planet. The group refueled, and Comet ran his hands over his body. He pulled out a mini polisher from his cockpit, and stared at a sheet of metal to watch his reflection as he ran the polisher over his head crest.

"Seriously?" Twilight scoffed.

"What? It'll only take me a second," Comet countered. "I'm not wasting anyone's time."

As he had vowed, he was ready when they decided to lift off again.

 _Maybe I can work with this_ , Starscream thought. Every one of them moved so easily in the air, flexible, swift, and untiring. They knew the formations by heart, and were prompt in following Starscream's orders. There was no repeat of Aceflight's previous behaviour. No one harassed him, and no one seemed jealous that he was always flying at the front.

"Chief, can we fly down there?" Aceflight asked from behind him. They were crossing over a spiky terrain. "We can practice shooting the spikes and dodging them."

"Fine. But be _careful_ , Aceflight."

"Don't worry about it, Moon. I'll keep my head this time."

Starscream led them into the labyrinth, finding excitement in the chance to go full out with his blasters.

"Make sure you don't hit any birds!" Soft Breeze hollered.

True enough, there were some flying animals in the area. The group practiced by dodging them too, avoiding shooting them as though they were civilians to be protected. Starscream made them split off at times, but the group zipped through the obstacles and always found their way back into their rightful spots.

They headed back into the sky, regaining a high altitude to cover the ground faster. At the end of the day, they reached the end of the Sky Rails and touched down in Kaon. A thin haze filled the air from the factories. They paced through, trying to ventilate despite the smog.

"This place is nasty," Aceflight gagged.

"Just here," Twilight said. "The inner city is clean."

But Starscream had known there was a public warp station nearby, so they tolerated the thick air for now. The fliers all paid, then teleported back to Vos. They happily stepped back into the city of skyscrapers, enjoying the dark sky clear above them and the fresh breeze.

"Kaon used to be so polluted that you couldn't see where you were going," Starscream commented as they walked. "The South was a mass of factories and mining operations. In those days, Seekers weren't bothered to patrol there."

He said it not because he had read it. He remembered how it had been, back in the caste systems. It had been a toxic place, full of accidental and purposeful deaths. In such a hazardous world, Megatron had been raised.

"I can't believe that Cybertron was like that," Charred Mist murmured.

Starscream remembered just a bit more. "Yes," he said. "In the South, the pollution could damage optics. There was a steady black market that sold optics to replace them."

"From the corpses," Twilight continued. She knew what he was talking about.

Starscream nodded. "Lives did not matter then, unless you were a high caste member. Otherwise, you were just spare parts."

"Seekers mattered," Aceflight pointed out as they continued walking.

"That was what society thought. But they were wrong to think so," Starscream muttered. "A spark is like any other. You can't see any wings or wheels on one."

He remembered every bit of his superiority complex, cultivated from pride of his race. If the caste system had never existed, then he might have never allowed such an ego to swell.

 _I might not have become so indifferent to the plights of other races_ , he thought.

The group began to part ways. Just after the others had left, Charred Mist stopped, stepping back to Starscream.

"You understand the Decepticon cause better than others I have heard," he mumbled. "So many don't want to talk about the suffering of the bots who started the revolution."

"I didn't come to that realization myself," Starscream said. "I had friends who explained it to me."

"Who?"

"Some vehicons."

"But you understand," Charred Mist said. "Not everyone can do that just because someone explains something to you. You have an open spark."

Yet in remembrance of his struggle in accepting other races, particularly Predacons, Starscream thought, _Not as open as I would like._

Charred Mist blinked quickly in embarrassment. "I hope that you can be my leader later on."

Then, Charred Mist dropped his black and burnt-tea-coloured wings politely.

"See you in class, Moonwing."

"Goodbye, Charred Mist."

He watched him take off. Starscream then flew in the opposite direction back to Iacon, deciding at last that his team was nothing to be disappointed about. Whatever flaws they seemed to have, they would not fail him. Aceflight seemed mouthy and rash, Comet self-absorbed, and Charred Mist frightened and weak. But the adventure of the day swayed him. Comet and Charred Mist were as willing to be loyal Seekers as much as anyone else in the group. There was something below their outer shells, some determined spirits that Silverbolt must have seen when selecting elite students.

Starscream remembered the seriousness set in Charred Mist's orange eyes. No matter how he would perform in the combat classes, he would not use the classes to gauge his capabilities.

 _Under the stress of a mission, I know they will be Seekers that I can trust._


	19. Chapter 18: The First Demons

**Although I like to keep surprises, yes Megatron and Shockwave will appear later on in the story. How they will, that cannot be revealed. But they will have importance, just like Slipstream and Soundwave (for those fearing that we have seen the last of them).**

* * *

There was a new home waiting for him in Vos. Although he was still welcome to come back to Optimus' in Iacon, Starscream soon would not be returning as often anymore.

As he did before, Optimus helped Starscream pack for his next move. The willingness to show him kindness was something Starscream could not fathom. He had told Optimus that he remembered killing Cliffjumper. And although he did not say how he came to remember it, he felt sure that the death of an Autobot on Earth would have still been deeply upsetting to Optimus. They had been a small, close team. But even after Starscream had confessed, he had felt no change in how he was treated.

Ratchet scanned his mind before he left. Although Starscream felt he had remembered so much, they still believed that he should remember more before the Trial. He could only assume that meant he had done many more crimes that they wanted to judge as well. It stabbed more guilt into his spark, which wasn't what he wanted to feel before his first day back in Seeker duties.

There was another sorrow troubling him, but it was only something that could be lived with. He was leaving his vehicon friends behind, who would be starting their next year at the academy. Knowing that they were progressing down different paths saddened him, but he was proud of their choice. Steve had entered training to be with him, and now he was dead-set on becoming a police officer. He had a greater goal now, so he would not give up despite Starscream's absence. The three of them were on the way of changing society's perception of them.

In the night before he moved, Starscream was too caught up in a flood of emotions to sleep. He could hardly separate what it was that he was feeling, but he went out into the city. It had been long since he was afraid of the sort of bots the darkness brought. Starscream was armed and trained, barely affected by the burning in his nerves that had once kept him tied to a chair.

His feet ended up taking him to the library, likely because it had been a comfort to him since two years ago. He happened across the aisle where he had first met Shiloh, and reminisced despite just seeing him at the swordfighting club.

"Moonwing?"

Starscream turned at the voice, finding a face he vaguely remembered from the book clubs he used to attend. He stopped to talk to this individual, glad for a distraction. Then, he moved on with the emotions welling up inside him again. He couldn't understand why he felt so emotional, when everything was going the way he had wanted to. Long ago, he had even been telling Optimus and his teacher how he was going to reach this goal.

He wandered into a park and looked up to the stars. His head tilted so far back to catch sight of as many as possible, so in the end, he lay on his back to look at them. Soon, he heard light footfalls as someone walked into the park. Sitting up, Starscream looked to see Arcee crossing the park towards him.

His spark twitched nervously. She must have found a way to track his life signal here. But for what purpose, alone in the night?

"What are you doing here?" he whispered.

Her expression was no longer cold as it had been before. Starscream felt at ease, and glad that she had found him doing an innocent activity. At least there was no way to misinterpret what he had been doing.

"I just wanted to talk to you before you go," she said. "I have been thinking about what you told me."

It had been months since she had confronted him. Starscream hardly remembered his own words now- just the result of them at the time. Now, he didn't know which words she meant exactly.

"I know hating you can't bring him back," Arcee continued. "And you can't do anything to replace him."

Starscream looked away, unable to meet her eyes that were so calm.

"I also know you regret what you did. Some of us never thought you would change, but you have."

Still, his hands felt so dirty. What was the point of mentioning his regret then, if she had just told him how permanent his actions had been? Starscream still sat in silence as she stood over him.

"You saved my life before," she said.

Starscream glanced to her. Both knew he had not known that.

"Airachnid was going to kill me, but you stopped her. I was trapped, and I was sure that you would finish what she started. All you did was cut me down. If you had not decided to stop her in the first place, Optimus would have found me hanging, dead."

The memory cleared up in his mind. All of it was true. Arcee was encased in webbing, upside-down, and Starscream walked up to her. Though he teased, baring his claws, he felt his intentions. He had wanted to save her then, because she had spared his life before. Yet what point was there for him to show honour? No one would have had to know he had been the one to kill her. There had been no gain from it. His past self had freely chosen to save her.

 _Is this her way of telling me that I am not as evil as everyone thinks? That I can be forgiven?_

He didn't think she was close to forgiving him. But, thinking that he did have some scraps of honour in his past did ease him. Somehow, feeling that he hadn't really changed so much was more comforting.

"Thank you for telling me," Starscream murmured.

Arcee knew what telling him had meant. She turned then, leaving him in the park to once again lay back and contemplate the beyond once again.

* * *

In the beginning of his training, Starscream had been put into larger groups. He accompanied the Seekers on their patrols, scanning for danger with them. In the case of an arrest, he was to follow but was ordered to not engage. He choked back his impatience, understanding that everyone thought he and the students were very young. No one was comfortable putting Newsparks in the front line of danger, even if they had been elite students.

At least he was usually put into patrols with at least one of his former group members. Together, they picked out suspicious activity and contributed all they could to show their skills, hoping that they would be seen as capable. For the students, the work to prove themselves was hard and the days were long. Even after patrolling, they were burdened with reports if any needed to be made, so they could practice writing them. Nevertheless, they did feel useful that way. With the military communication link now installed into them, they had the sense of being real Seekers even if they hadn't each been given an insignia yet.

The commlinks alone were a relief. At any time, Starscream could connect to his team, even scattered, since they had requested to have each other's links. Instead of calling him, Aceflight could now speak to him at any time of day. Soon enough, Starscream set down rules so that his sleep wouldn't be interrupted. After all, he was already rushing to the berth of his new dorm to catch all the rest that he could. He didn't want to be startled awake by Aceflight's boast of the week.

Each morning, Starscream stood in his room and gazed down at the ground. Unlocking the barrier, he could hurl himself off the building to leave. He loved letting himself drop, the wind whistling past him as he flipped. Then, before striking the ground, he transformed and launched to work. The daily jump almost made up for the sucking feeling in his spark to have to now sleep alone.

Over time, the students were given more privileges. They received installations in their faces, allowing them to pull visors over their eyes at will to cover the glow. Then weeks later, they were allowed to shoot at fleeing criminals with their shocking null rays, targeting the joints as commanded. Starscream heard only success stories from his teammates, his new friends. Each had an exciting arrest story to tell, as did Starscream. He did not wish to brag, however, and reveal how he had single-handedly taken down bots on his own.

Their accomplishments were not overlooked. One-by-one, they started being assigned search missions in smaller groups to increase their responsibilities. Looking at the cases and following the evidence was a much greater responsibility. Though no one had managed to find the missing Cybertronians, they were not blamed for it. There was a reason the cases had not already been solved.

All that they could seek easily were narcotics. Starscream was sent out to Kaon many times, waiting on the building tops and spying on the streets. If they ever found illegal trades in action, they would pounce from the buildings and arrest the criminals. Twilight was especially talented at hunting down the drug traders and the toxic substances. She had recently been given praise for finding and stopping the sale of a crate of a poisonous drug in Blaster City.

Silverbolt, their Air Commander, organized the missions and knew their successes. Vos Seekers were flexible, shipped off to wherever they were needed. Other Seekers were permanently fixed in other regions, calling for extra help if necessary. Starscream understood the short supply of Seekers now, when he was constantly being sent away by Silverbolt to far away places, usually to the busiest of Cybertronian cities.

He barely had time to relax, to go back to Iacon or Fort Scyk to see his friends. If he managed to fling himself to Knockout's, it was like a mini vacation there. Starscream could lay his overworked body in the bath, and be polished by the insistent Knockout.

"You look nice," Comet told him. "But you should really polish yourself more. Then your black parts will be as shiny as mine."

"Do you know who Knockout is?" Starscream finally asked.

"Yes! Knockout! He's a great stylist!"

 _Of course he knows him_ , he thought with a smirk. He decided that if he ever had the time, he would have the two vain bots meet.

Although it wasn't so often that he got to be with his friends alone. Starscream had begun to miss seeing Comet and the others as often as he had before. Their encounters had to be predetermined, but even then, plans were too easily cancelled from sudden calls. They had just made such a plan, but then Silverbolt had unexpectedly summoned Starscream to him.

"You are the most talented of the students," Silverbolt told him warmly in his office. "I think it is time to give you your first mission. It won't be difficult, but it is a good test for you. I will let you pick your group, and I will judge all of you."

"Is this as assessment?" Starscream asked.

"It will be," he confirmed. "But I have confidence in you. I will give you a week to prepare so that you will have all the information you need. I want you to give this case a thorough interrogation. You can have another week to stay in the area. It isn't about solving it, but do all that you can. Follow all the procedures, and each of you will write a report. I will also have you install recorders into your optics. If you can, record any useful clips and take pictures while you are there. You will also be given access to the trackers and the personal commlinks of your team members to control them."

"I have a team in mind," Starscream said.

"Yes? Excellent then." Silverbolt prepared himself to record the names.

"Aceflight, Cloudtips, Charred Mist, Twilight, Soft Breeze, and Comet will join me."

"Then I will leave it up to you to inform them." Silverbolt then handed him a Datapad that had been ready on his desk. "Everything you need to know is compiled on this. It is a missing bot report of a tribe in the Manganese Mountains. It happened only weeks ago, but we have minimal information. Make sure your team understands their culture. They are an old group from a colony world, so let them know that Seekers care about them as much as anyone else."

Before Starscream left, Silverbolt said, "Oh, and before you travel there, I will give you permission to all have your Seeker insignias added. You will need to look official for the case. You can consider this as your ceremony, though we don't have one formally made yet for the students of the new program. From here on out you can consider yourselves as Seekers, since I am giving you all the responsibility of one."

* * *

Starscream held back all instincts to puff out his chest. It had been far, far too long since he had bore the Seeker insignia. He had worn the Decepticon one for the War, but it could never have the feeling that the Seeker symbol did. It seemed to merge with his spark as it sat welded just over it.

To have the symbol and live in Vos again drove him mad with nostalgia. He could not resist leaping off buildings and tearing around the city in his rapture. For an hour of his free time, it was all he could do. Starscream zoomed into the sky, transformed, and let himself fall constantly. A gray jet tore after him and transformed as well to fall beside him. It was Soft Breeze, who turned to him with a Seeker symbol also freshly welded to his chest.

"What're you doing?" he laughed. He had spotted Starscream weaving and dropping in from the clouds without purpose.

He couldn't simply explain how happy he was. Starscream transformed and tore away, letting the other Seeker chase him instead. Soft Breeze was stronger than he was fast, and could not catch up. A sharp Seeker then rose up in front of him, black and red. Starscream slowed down.

"Are you playing something?" Comet asked. "I would have thought you would be studying that tribe's language."

Soft Breeze came by. "It looks like our chief is enjoying his break."

Starscream sped off ahead, thrilled when they gave chase. Not only was he here in the city of his past, but he was no longer bound by caste and expectations. If he had nothing better to do, he was allowed to play like this. They raced by construction workers sitting and building high up on the towers. Heads turned, watching the hyper fliers pass not too far away from them.

As Starscream dodged and escaped them, he spotted Cloudtips and Aceflight up ahead. Someone must have informed them of the informal game. For many minutes, they charged after Starscream, trying to corner him and force him to land. He always squeezed by, too hard to keep up with. In the end, he stopped on a building top, gripping the edge and looking over the drop. They landed behind him, recovering from the chase.

As Starscream looked down, Cloudtips tackled him over the edge. They plunged, but then Starscream was released so that they could both fly back up to the top. Now, Starscream sat in the middle, and the four sat around him and watched the sunset.

"You're insane," Soft Breeze purred at him.

"Terror of the Skies," Aceflight grinned.

Starscream smiled. While he was caught off guard again, Cloudtips yanked Starscream by the wings then pressed him to the roof. With a yelp, Starscream was forced to wrestle the blue flier with the splotched wingtips. He fought for his freedom until the first stars appeared in the sky.

* * *

"Remember seeing those?" Aceflight called. He was referring to the distant triangles of the Manganese Mountains they had passed before during their flight across the planet. Now though, the triangles were their target, and soon they loomed like a foreboding menace before them. While they had looked smooth from a distance, the ragged beauty of the place came out. The mountains were littered with spikes, bumps, and peeled metal of different metallic shades, resembling the forest slopes Starscream had seen in Earth movies. Unfortunately, with all the cover on the mountain range, their job was going to be much harder.

They could not see the ground except in clearings. And where they were going, there were less of those. A part of the Manganese Mountains was for tourist attractions, but these were far from where Starscream and his team were being sent. They came to the coordinates of the village incredibly far from the noise, the hikers, and the zip lines. It was a place impossible to see from the air, since it was hidden under pillars with flat plates like a roof on top of them. To the Seekers, it was like a cave stationed on the surface. There were gaps in the pseudo-roof that covered the village, letting in enough light to see, but the metal huts were shrouded in darkness.

They had walked there after landing in a clearing. They took in all this after stepping through the last of the forest-like jumble of metal. Soft Breeze tripped on a bump, then joined the others as the villagers came to them from the shadows. They had heard the jets overhead, and looked to the Seekers with relief.

There was a murmur of a language of which Starscream only knew a few words. One bot approached them in particular, wearing a draping, layered piece of jewelry over his chest. All of the villagers seemed to enjoy the colour red, and all wore some sort of red-stained metal upon them. The one who radiated the seriousness of a leader stopped before Starscream, recognizing too that he was the leader of the bunch.

He had no accent when he spoke. "Thank you for returning so soon."

They were looking for a bot named Jag, a thin Newspark who had recently joined the tribe out of interest. No one in the tribe had any conflict with Decepticons, but Jag had disappeared suddenly without a trace. No one had seen or heard a portal opening up, which was the most suspected way of capture that the Seekers had suspected.

Apparently though, Jag had went exploring on his own and had simply never come back. His life signal was detected nowhere on Cybertron, which meant one of four things: he was deep underground, in a dead zone, off planet, or dead. But based off the last interrogation done by a group of Seekers before them, no deep holes were known of in the area, no reason for Jag to leave or hide himself. Since he was a Newspark, it was unlikely he had any criminal background.

Yet one word had come up often in the report. The tribe had its own beliefs, and they expressed it now.

The leader spoke, and Starscream caught the sorrow in his voice, "We do not except that you will find Jag online. We know that demons have come to our home. We warned him not to leave alone. No one ever leaves the village without another, without a weapon... The young spark went into the night and paid dearly. But please, find him for us. We would rather lay him to rest at home then be lost, alone."

Starscream felt a tightening in his chest. The village already foresaw no happy ending to the mystery. He turned to his Seekers and said quiet enough that only the leader could hear, "Charred Mist, Twilight, and Cloudtips. Stay here and speak to the other villagers and see if what they says matches the reports. Let them speak about their belief in demons, if it will help. If they saw anything, it might be an enemy that isn't what they believe. Record anything new."

He moved to the other three Seekers.

"Aceflight, Soft Breeze, Comet. We will search the area. Soft Breeze with me. Aceflight and Comet, you head in the opposite direction. I forbid you from separating. Keep your guard up and meet back at the village before sunset."

Starscream had decided days ago that he was going to take the warnings of the villagers seriously. The last group of Seekers had searched heavily, but had been dismissive of the belief in demons. They had waved it off as foolish, and that mere animals might have spooked them.

 _But what if it wasn't Decepticons?_ he wondered. _Why can't we explore other possibilities?_

He had wanted Soft Breeze for a reason. The reports had mentioned scratch marks in particular spots around the village, and while searching for more, Starscream went to those spots. In the shaded, metal ground, there were long marks that went from shallow to deep at the tips. They had been written off as local animals, but had not been identified.

"Do you know of any animal with claws like these?" Starscream asked Soft Breeze.

The large, grey Seeker crouched. "There aren't any predatory land animals big enough for claws like these. They are definitely claws though, just… if we act like these marks are footsteps, then it looks like something on two feet came by here. I would say a Predacon, but the claws seem small."

"Most Predacon claws retract," Starscream hummed.

"Even so, the width of the feet is small," Soft Breeze pondered. "But on the other hand, it looks like the owner of these was also very heavy."

It did seem like a Predacon's footprint in bipedal form, yet Starscream had never seen such a small foot on any of them.

"Perhaps it is not a Predacon," Starscream said. "There are many animalistic Cybertronians."

Soft Breeze nodded, but replied, "A lot of animalistic types became Decepticons in the War. It still doesn't explain why they would come here and steal away a stray villager."

"Why would anyone target such an isolated village?" Starscream thought aloud. "Perhaps because of that reason. Many they wanted a random Cybertronian for an experiment, and took someone they thought they could get away with quietly."

"That's awful," Soft Breeze murmured. "So then, do you think they waited for someone to leave on their own?"

"The tribe's belief in demons keeps them cautious," Starscream said. "I wonder if they had to wait long… Let's see if there is a path. If we can see where the footprints started, went to, and ended."

It would be hard when there were already scratches on the ground. The Seekers bent over, eyes focusing hard to pick out the right marks and identify a trail. Yet it seemed at a point, there were no more marks to discern.

"Either they flew in or teleported," Starscream determined.

They marched the other way, but the trail also disappeared at a spot near the village.

"If they disappeared through a groundbridge here, someone must have seen the light of it." But Starscream looked up around them. "Anything with flapping wings would struggle to make it through here too."

"They would have heard jets like us," Soft Breeze added. "Wing flaps too probably, if any."

"How can the trail end here then, so close to the village?" Starscream frowned.

Soft Breeze said, "If this is the perpetrator, then not only do they have to get out of here, then they also have to get off the ground _with_ Jag."

"Why would they fly here?" Starscream stared at the marks, face wrinkling. "Or however they did it, why are there places where the claw marks disappear?"

He decided to call Aceflight.

"Are you investigating the trails?" he asked.

"Yeah," Aceflight answered. "It's like all the pics we saw. We tried to follow the marks, but no luck. Disappears. But more importantly, I think we might have found some fresh marks."

"Where?"

He gave him the coordinates, and Starscream and Soft Breeze flew there, dodging the obstacles. Aceflight and Comet pointed at a spot just in sight of the village. There was no trail, but a pool of scratches behind the cover of a metal chunk.

"Good find," Starscream murmured, but did not like what this meant.

Comet said, "We think this bot will come back."

"I suspect the same."

"What should we do now?" Aceflight asked.

"We'll hear from the villagers, and hopefully something new will come up," Starscream told him. "Take your pictures, then let's head back and see what the others have found out."

* * *

Night had fallen, thick and heavy with silence in this part of the Manganese Mountains. What the Seekers had found had been nothing of value. No one had seen or heard of anything moving around their village.

 _Not even a scream was heard. Was there a struggle?_ Starscream believed that it must have been the case. Either the poor Newspark was grabbed before he could scream, or he had come willingly. Since all of the villagers were wheeled bipeds, it seemed unlikely that Jag could have been lured out by trusting a clawed stranger.

Starscream had his Seekers with him on an outcrop of a hill. They lay on their stomachs, except for Charred Mist, who was watching their rear and camouflaged perfectly into the terrain. All off them wore their visors to keep their eyes from glowing in the dark. Through black shades, they watched the gaps in the ground for movement. None of them moved, trying to blend into the shadows and the night sky.

Starscream hoped that there were no spies or enemy surveillance in the village. Then, if the enemy returned tonight waiting for a target, they would have no idea seven Seekers were lying in wait. If they had heard of their arrival, then even if the Seekers waited each night, they couldn't catch someone who didn't show up.

The movement of night creatures kept the nerves of the young fliers on end. They hated the inactivity, the knowledge that they would have to strike at any moment. Starscream knew this was nothing compared to the long stress he remembered of the War. This was the feeling that had been everyone's lives for each day of the civil war. Starscream was calm, relaxing his gaze and sharpening it when he detected any sort of movement.

No villagers left their home at the night. They might have before, but not since the arrival of the _demons_. Starscream wondered what made them think there was more than one threat, if none of them had seen anything. All of it had to do with their lives on another planet, but Starscream now had his mind open to the possibility of more than one behind the disappearance.

 _A case as mysterious as this one could not have been done by one bot._

"Over there." Twilight pointed. Something had just stepped into a clearing, oblivious to the line of Seeker eyes above. Starscream stared with the others, but what they saw had the silhouette of a thin, wingless bot.

"It looks a bit like… _Jag_ ," Cloudtips said. "Though it is hard to determine that at this distance."

Then the silhouette staggered forward, knees bending the wrong way. The thin shadow staggered into the metallic, forest-like patch. The Seekers recoiled, shocked.

 _It looked as though the lower half of that bot was… twisted the wrong way._

"Slag, what was wrong with him?" Aceflight whispered.

Twilight muttered, "That bot might have been injured. Do you think it could have been Jag coming back? Escaped?"

Charred Mist wanted to know what they were speaking of, but he stayed pointed away to guard them, a silent smudge.

Starscream said, "Let's call Vos to see if they can determine that bot's life signal."

He contacted a staff member, and the others listened attentively while looking for the twisted bot to reappear again.

"I need a signal checked," Starscream said. "Ignore the cluster you may see. Directly below and in front of my location. A lone signal on the move."

The worker replied, "Getting your position now…"

There was a long pause.

"There is no lone signal," he reported.

Starscream cut off the call as his Seekers froze.

"N-no signal?" Comet whispered. "You don't think that creature down there… could be a demon?"

"Of course not," Starscream stated. "Criminals put cases around their spark chambers to hide their frequency. This just means that the bot down there is illegal."

"But did you see how it walked?" Aceflight stammered. "What was wrong with it?"

"Enough. We will apprehend him. But we can't lose him now. If he hides and we miss him, we can't track him," Starscream muttered. "We need stealth."

He thought about who he could send that best blended in with the terrain. The silver on Starscream risked flashing in the patches of moonlight. He was already pressing his wings down flat to not shine and give away their position. Soft Breeze had a good, hazy colour, but he was too heavy. Starscream picked the smallest two Seekers of the group, who were both dark-coloured.

"Comet, Charred Mist," he said. "Pursue that bot. Don't take your blasters out until the last second."

They didn't want to risk creating any light. And although Comet had a gleam of red, he was mostly black. He would do.

The two chosen Seekers climbed down and silently disappeared into the land. Soft Breeze turned to take control of the back. They waited, staring deep into the forest. Starscream knew they needed time to pursue the bot, but he flipped up the device he had. He could see all of his team's signals live on it, and saw Charred Mist and Comet covering ground quickly.

They waited long, then Comet's voice came in over Starscream's communication link.

"We can't find him," Comet whispered. "Just disappeared."

He sounded so nervous.

"He isn't a spirit or any supernatural creature," Starscream responded. "Search around the village in the spots you investigated before. He must be waiting somewhere, spying on the them."

They waited longer. Starscream was debating sending more in down there.

"Moonwing," Comet murmured again over the commlink. His voice was shaking. "I think we saw him, but… he's gone. I went around the corner where he was but then…"

"That can't be," Starscream said.

"The bot had no signal… Erm, c-can we go back now?"

"Are you _sure_ you saw him?"

"There's something lurking down here," Comet said. "I-I can't see him anymore, but I feel watched."

Starscream saw movement down below. In the clearing they had once seen the broken silhouette, Comet walked into sight and looked up to where he knew the Seekers were. He looked shaken, knees pressed together nervously.

Twilight murmured, "Where's Charred Mist?"

The only thing moving down there was Comet, alone in a field.

Starscream froze. He hadn't commanded them to stay together.

"Comet," he whispered hoarsely. "Is Charred Mist with you?"

"What are you talking…"

Comet trailed off, and they saw his head turn away from the village. He was looking into the darkness that they could not see under the metal roofs of the pillars. There was a faint growling over the commlink.

Starscream flashed up to his feet and saw a massive shape explode from the cover into the clearing. It was all wings, teeth, and claws. Too far away, the unmistakable Predacon pounced onto Comet and pinned him under its talons.

Abandoning all stealth now, Starscream hurled off the outcrop, screeching, "Seekers, attack!"

The other four launched after him, but Starscream knew with a slap of dread that they would not get there in time. The Predacon snapped its head down at Comet, and it would only take a bite to kill him. Yet something peeled from the shadows right beside where Comet had stood. It shrieked in rage, latching itself onto the Predacon's face and swiping a flurry of blows.

"Primus, it's Charred Mist!" Aceflight cried.

Comet had not been alone. And no one, not even the Predacon, had seen the other flier in the clearing. The blasts of the Seekers struck the Predacon, but missed the joints. Still, it roared in furious pain, shattering the eerie peace of the night. Undoubtedly, the sound would have shaken the distant village, and its inhabitants would all be leaping to their feet.

There was no time to waste. The Predacon was trying to snap at Charred Mist, but the small Seeker clung on with only his hands; each toss of its head made his lower body flop back into the air. As they pelted the Predacon with red blasts, a splash of energon lighted up on the Predacon's face. Starscream could not yet tell whose blood it was.

"Ace, Cloud-left! Breeze, Twi- right!"

The team split to each leg of the Predacon. Starscream beelined to its face, transforming and letting his claws slide over his fingers. Dropping, he barked, "Move!"

Charred Mist rolled down the back of the Predacon. At his disappearance, Starscream realized that one of the Predacon's eyes was already slashed to shreds. In the next second, Starscream collected his fingers and thrust his claws into the other eye of the Predacon. They glided through with silky ease. At the screech and ensuing frenzy, Starscream was thrown across the clearing, his back crashing into a column. He jumped to his feet to see the Predacon spinning in a frantic circle, swiping its tail in the hopes to slice one of the Seekers in half.

Starscream saw each Seeker hop over the bladed tail and slide across the metal towards the Predacon's joints. It reared up on its hind legs, transforming as Cloudtips and Twilight made first contact, jamming their guns into both knee joints. The body twitched, the transformation failing for a moment. Starscream caught up to Comet's side as he wiggled free.

"Front!" he hollered.

Starscream pulled back his claws and bore his null ray blasters. The Predacon stumbled into bipedal form, regaining its sight. Its ringed eyes widened when Starscream and Comet stabbed their blasters into its abdomen, and four other Seekers simultaneously shocked each knee and elbow joint. Its eyes rolled back, then the Predacon collapsed forward. Comet and Starscream zipped away, leaving the giant bot to crash to the ground, immobilized.

"Watch out!" Charred Mist screamed.

Thunder shook the scene. They turned just as a wingless Predacon now barged into the fight scene, snarling and flashing its deadly fangs. The next second, fire poured into the clearing, forcing the Seekers to scatter. When separated, it grew confident. The striped beast scrambled to Cloudtips, but the strong Seeker was quicker than anyone expected, throwing himself to the ground. Fangs snapped on empty air, missing his white wingtip by centimetres.

"Regroup!" Starscream called. "With me!"

Starscream did not consider any risk to himself. Not when a Predacon was targeting one of his group members, and hesitation meant death. Cloudtips blasted at the Predacon's face, giving himself just enough time to back away from its snapping mouth. Then, he threw himself into the group as the seven Seekers struck the Predacon at once. It did not know how to respond, who to attack. It turned its head one way, fixing fierce yellow eyes onto Aceflight. Before making a move, Twilight shocked its elbow. It lashed towards her, but Comet, Soft Breeze, and Cloudtips fired into the legs together.

The Predacon dropped onto its stomach for a second, but fiery determination was in its gaze. Starscream could see every ounce of its being wanted to kill them. It wanted to tear them limb-from-limb, and it was furious that it had lost control over its body. Spikes projected from its tail, but before it could crash the points into Comet's back, Charred Mist leapt onto thick base of the tail. Starscream saw at last, the night-black claws that had come out of his finger-tips. Charred Mist jammed them into a joint in the tail, half severing it at once. In a bubbling of blood, the tail fell permanently limp.

All this had happened in mere seconds. Starscream was standing by its face, ready for the desperation. The powerful jaws opened, and an orange glow began to emanate from deep within its throat. At the first sight of its gullet, Starscream fired. The shot was swallowed up, the shock wavering under where its brain lay. It had been an assumption, but with the shot, the Predacon was gripped in a spasm. At last, its body gave into the the viscous assault of the Seekers' shock weapons. It dropped to the ground, unconscious and incapable of the slightest twitch.

The group stepped back, pulling back their visors to stare at the fallen Predacons with wide, vibrant eyes. They then peered into the darkness, expecting yet another Predacon to jump out at them. Overheated from the rush, they panted to cool down and watched that their feet didn't stray too close to the molten metal scars on the turf.

Comet dove at Charred Mist, sucking him into a tight hug. He shook him and moaned, "You saved my paint, you little savage! I am never going to make fun of you again!"

Twilight remarked, "He saved more than your paint job, there."

As Comet rocked him, Charred Mist's orange eyes flickered. He breathed, "Oh-oh-"

His needle-like claws were still drawn, and his arms were soaked up to the elbows in Predacon blood. Comet hardly cared what was on his lustrous body now, or even that he was roughed up from the initial pounce. And since Charred Mist did not want to retract his claws now, as filthy as they were, he carefully hugged Comet back to not cut him.

Starscream looked over each of them, coming to the exciting realization that not a single one of them was marked by injury. His heart soared with relief, his body feeling impossibly light.

Twilight said, "Moonwing, I recorded the fight."

Starscream jumped. He had forgotten entirely about the possibility. But this was wonderful, perfect for their assessment.

 _We worked together spectacularly!_

Comet dragged the hapless Charred Mist with him to Starscream. "Wait, what about the figure we saw? This… whatever just happened, has nothing to do with it."

"Or maybe it does," Cloudtips rumbled.

"I think that…" Starscream narrowed his eyes. "... that figure was trying to lead you here. He must not have known Charred Mist was with you. He couldn't see him with his visor on."

Still, it was hard to make out Charred Mist against the dirty, night terrain. It was only easy now because of his bright orange eyes and luminous energon coating.

Aceflight asked, "If the goal was to lead a lone victim to the Predacons, then why didn't we see any marks before?"

Soft Breeze replied, "Because if they walk normally, they aren't going to leave deep marks on the ground. But in a fight…" He gestured to the heavy slashing under their feet. "What we saw before, waiting around the village… It was not them. Something- someone else was there, and I would say he only left marks when his claws curled with anger."

"Impatience," Starscream breathed. "They must have been waiting for so long, but no villager would leave alone."

"They tried to get me before I could scream," Comet whispered.

"Is that what happened to Jag?" Aceflight threw in.

"No." Cloudtips pushed him. "We saw that figure."

"It certainly looked like Jag," Starscream said. "Perhaps he was pressured to aid these Predacons in… some sort of hunt."

"Primus!" Comet croaked. "Do you think those Predacons wanted to… _eat_ me?"

"He did look crippled," Twilight agreed. "But he was not leaking energon. Maybe he wandered, was captured, and harmed."

"What happened to his signal then?" Soft Breeze murmured.

At the movement of a Predacon, seven different blasters shot out and fired. The conversation continued.

"And where did he go?" Charred Mist whispered softly. "He had him in our sights, and he disappeared."

"That sounds like a spirit to me," Aceflight gulped.

"It was a living bot," Starscream stressed. "And he will be long gone by now. But if we want to get to the bottom of this case, then we have all we need here."

Starscream swept his hands down to the motionless lumps of the Predacons.

At that moment, a storm of villagers bustled in. The Seekers stood up, Comet finally detaching from Charred Mist. From the forest of metal, the leader strode forward, jaw dropped and eyes bugged.

"Why are these Predacons here?" he gasped.

Starscream walked up to him. "They came to hunt your village. We believe they have been waiting for long, hoping to trick one of you towards them. We may have seen Jag taking part in this trap."

"Jag?" The leader's eyes shined with emotion. "He was young and sweet. He would never do such a thing."

Yet as soon as Starscream had said the words, he remembered that the impatient claw marks could not have been Predacon claws. If the one waiting near the village had been Jag, then why had a wheeled bot had clawed feet? It was more of a stretch to think he had been modified. More so, that Jag would have been impatient to kill if he had reportedly been a kind bot.

"There is still much to solve," Starscream instead said. "Hopefully, the interrogations will disperse the mystery. And we will find Jag."

This time, the Predacon in its bipedal form stirred. Starscream was about to shoot, but the leader had just gotten in the way. He moved around him, coming in position to fire just as a chuckle crept out from the Predacon's throat. Waiting for a signal, the group flickered their eyes to Starscream. Since he had yet to fire, all the Seekers hesitated.

The Predacon had just heard the last words Starscream had spoken. Now, he tittered, "The little bot. That is why you came?"

The villagers bristled. Starscream marched forward, his blaster pointed at the Predacon's face. Despite his mostly petrified body, the Predacon's eyes radiated victorious pride.

"He is long gone."

"Where did he go?" Starscream muttered.

He laughed, winning a circle of glares back at him.

"Stupid, little Seeker," the Predacon answered. "Aren't you afraid?"

"Do I look afraid to you?" Starscream uttered as his group flanked him.

"We were made superior to you," he continued. "Not one of you is strong enough to defeat our kind. That is why you group together. That is the only reason you win... _today_. But just you wait, stupid Seeker. Wait until _we_ group together. And we will. That is why you should be afraid."

Starscream's wings quivered in rage, and every bit of him wanted to shoot the Predacon in the face at that very moment. Had he been alone, he might not have held back.

"You want to know what happened to _precious_ , little Jag?"

Even before he said it, the villagers and the Seekers understood what was coming by his sneering tone. Their faces were already twisting in horror and outrage when the Predacon raised a limp hand and lay it over his gut.

With slow tension, the Predacon overstressed each of the words that followed.

"He. Was. _Delicious_."

* * *

 _End Part Two_


	20. P3: Chapter 19: Sudden Premonition

_Begin Part Three: The Seekers of the Valley_

* * *

The Predacons were bound to berths, thick clamps hugging each limb like multiple belts. Both had been identified as residents of Predaking's region; the winged Predacon was Thunder Talon and the other was Whiptail. Watching them from behind a barrier of a one-way mirror, Air Commander Silverbolt and Lieutenant Fireflight of Vos stood with Air Raid, the Air Commander of Predacon Valley. The Seekers were on the second level, overlooking the interrogation with Starscream in the middle of them. For something as serious as this, they wanted to witness the result.

The most powerful Seeker of all, Sky Commander Jetfire, was undertaking the interrogation. He was setting up the cortical psychic patch with the help of another Seeker officer. The Predacons, who had been so arrogant before, faltered at the sight of the cord. Before Jetfire could plug it into the head of the winged Predacon, Thunder Talon, he cried out.

"Wait! You can't!"

Starscream twitched in impatience, silver eyes narrowed from disgust.

 _Get on with it_ , he thought.

"And why not?" Jetfire inquired.

The Predacons stared back with frightened eyes. The striped Predacon, Whiptail, said, "They installed something into our processors. If-if you attached the patch, we will die!"

Jetfire huffed, "Who is _they_?"

He put the online cord closer to Thunder Talon's head. Jetfire was an Autobot, yet Starscream was content that he was willing to threaten them like this. He wouldn't hesitate on the eve of a new threat. To stand any chance of defeating it, Jetfire was ready to be cruel.

"Don't tell him, idiot!" Whiptail barked. "They're just Autobots. They wouldn't dare hurt us for information. We can wait this out in prison until we are freed."

"That is a lot of confidence in your group," Jetfire said. "And in mine as well. Do you think I will do nothing to protect the citizens of this planet? We will use force because at a time like this, it is _necessary_."

Jetfire jammed the patch into Thunder Talon's head. He yelped in surprise, and Starscream could not resist a smirk of pleasure. These Predacons had relished tearing a young bot apart and they had almost killed one of Starscream's Seekers. At the very least, he wanted them to understand the fear of death.

It was disappointing when Thunder Talon was not killed. As with any other interrogated criminal on the patch, the contents of the bot's mind appeared on screen. Jetfire rolled his head over to the other Predacon.

"Nice acting," he uttered. "But I have dealt with enough Decepticons to know a lie when I hear one. You're next."

Starscream was impressed that he caught the bluff, but was even more disappointed that the Predacons hadn't been scared or suffering in the slightest so far.

Jetfire plugged himself in and entered the Predacon's mind. He hadn't needed to speak. Thunder Talon was weak-willed, incapable of stopping himself from thinking of his crimes. On the screen, they immediately saw the same dark clearing Starscream and his team had fought in. Within seconds, a thin Newspark padded into the sights of the Predacon; it was undoubtedly Jag, who now looked left-to-right as though looking for something.

As his head was turning, the Predacon rushed him. Thunder Talon clamped his jaws around his throat, crushing it and cutting off his scream before it came. Energon splattered the memory, over Thunder Talon's eyes, and everyone watching knew Jag was already dead. But Whiptail's muzzle was glimpsed in Thunder Talon's peripheral vision, grabbing hold of Jag's lower body. With a crackling, tearing sound, the young bot was ripped in half in a few callous tugs.

Lieutenant Fireflight gazed at Starscream in concern, crossing in front of him to block his view from the gore.

"Are you alright seeing this?" he murmured.

Starscream nearly answered with, _I've seen worse_. Yet he was supposed to be young and ignorant. He nodded instead.

There were gritty crunching sounds. Fireflight moved away as Jetfire spoke again.

"What compelled you to murder the Newspark?" His tone was devoid of mercy, his spark cold in the aftermath of the viewing.

The memory faded. In a grey haze, the Predacon faced the tall Seeker.

"Because we wanted to." Thunder Talon's eyebrows dipped down. As his eyes narrowed in challenge, a smile lifted on his face.

"So you feel nothing, no regret, for killing a one-year-old Newspark," Jetfire stated. "You took away everything he was and would ever be. You yourself are young. Can you not understand the tragedy of your actions?"

Thunder Talon laughed. "I would understand had it been a fellow Predacon. But my species cannot feel sorrow for a death of your race. It is against our nature."

"This idea of true nature is a new topic in the Valley of the Predacons," Jetfire stood like a statue, broad and motionless. "I take it that you attend White Dragon's speeches."

They were drawn back into another memory. Starscream saw the Valley once again, but in an area he had not yet seen. Thunder Talon was watching a stage, whereupon White Dragon stood in her bipedal form. She was speaking into a microphone, reminiscing of her past. Her accent had disappeared, and now she spoke with velvety wistfulness. She described a time where Predacons could go where they wanted, be in their _true_ forms without restrictions.

Starscream had not heard her deliver a speech before, but a small crowd of Predacons viewed her with expressions blank of any thoughts. They were lost in the romantic curves of her story. When Starscream glanced to the district's Air Commander, he saw a scowl on Air Raid's face. He was too familiar with her speeches, and hated every word she purred. The anger Starscream saw also hinted that Air Raid could not stop this either.

Jetfire muttered, "Inspired, you wanted to be like the Predacons of the past."

Thunder Talon did not admit it verbally, but another memory appeared. Likely on the outskirts of the Valley, a deer-like creature was shown lapping at a pool of unprocessed energon. The screen charged the animal, and soon the creature was caught fleeing, pinned by long claws. In a storm of slashes, the animal was torn open needlessly, before the Predacon's face lowered down to the body.

"I take it you started with animals," Jetfire went on. "Then, dared to do what White Dragon did in the past. You wanted to hunt our kind."

Yet the next memory was a surprise. They were back to one of White Dragon's speeches. She was complaining again that Predacons could not fly outside of their home. How restricted she felt. Claws looped around the shoulder of Thunder Talon, turning him away from the sight of her. For a second as he turned, Starscream spotted Predaking in the crowd, listening to the ancient Predacon with the same look of aspiration as the others. Then, Thunder Talon turned to a Predacon also in his bipedal form.

"You want that life too, don't you?" the stranger murmured. "It will come, Thunder Talon."

"How do you know me?" he whispered back. "Who are you?"

The Predacon cocked his head. The gesture spoke for him, _Follow me_.

As they watched Thunder Talon be led away, Air Raid was swiftly recording the physical appearance of the Predacon. He muttered under his breath, "I've never seen him before in my life… Who is that?"

Starscream's eyes were half-lidded. _A Predacon that the region's Air Commander does not recognize…_

Granted, there were approximately four-hundred Predacons there now to manage. It would not be outrageous if Air Raid could not remember each of them.

Around a building, the strange Predacon opened up his chest partially, enough to take out a cylinder of energon that he had been hiding within himself.

"I know you've started hunting animals," he said to Thunder Talon. "Exhilarating, isn't it? But nothing is better than this. Try it."

Thunder Talon took the cylinder from him. "What is it?"

"I will tell you another day. Drink it, but be quick. Don't let anyone smell it."

The cap was twisted off, and Thunder Talon drank the energon in a fast gulp.

"Wow!" he gasped. "I-"

"You've never tasted anything like it, correct?" the Predacon said. "I will give you more, later. Next time White Dragon holds a speech, I will find you."

The memory misted away, and Jetfire was seen again, staring at the Predacon grimly.

"Do I even have to ask what he gave you?" Jetfire said.

The Predacon lifted a corner of his mouth before more colours took over the screen. It was the next meeting, but it was not the same Predacon. Someone else brought Thunder Talon around the corner. They passed the container into his hands, and Thunder Talon could not wait before he guzzled down the liquid.

"What is this?" he whispered avidly. "How can I get more?"

"You can get it yourself," this smaller Predacon murmured.

"How?"

"Eager, aren't we?" he chuckled. "Good, good. You want to know what is so special about this energon. Well, all I will say is that it is _fresh_."

The Air Commander beside Starscream was bristling, his wings mostly guilty of showing off his wrath. Air Raid snarled, "How could this happen on my land? How did none of my Seekers see this?"

Silverbolt sighed, "You are understaffed, Air Raid. We truly realize it now. These two Predacon are dealing out samples of bot blood. Where they get it from… It seems that the Predacons you control might be behind most of Cybertron's latest disappearances, not Decepticons."

"There is no doubt an organization behind this," Air Raid growled. "Some sick group encouraged by White Dragon's speeches. We have to stop Predaking from allowing this. I don't care about free speech anymore, if this is what she is creating."

The lieutenant, Fireflight, asked, "Do you think she intended this?"

"Who knows," Silverbolt whispered. "But either way, it has gone too far."

Jetfire strode around the Predacon on the screen they watched.

"So this group helped organize the attack on the village," he stated. "So that you and your pal could hunt bipeds."

Knowing he could not hide it, Thunder Talon chuckled. "Sure, yes. But what will you do about it? Arresting me won't stop it."

"It won't." Jetfire glowered. "In that, you are right. Where can we find this group?"

But no memory came. Thunder Talon shrugged. "Looks like we can't give you that. We don't have V.I.P access."

"Does your group have a name?"

"No," Thunder Talon answered. "We just _are_. If you want to name your fear, then take the name of our race. Predacons will be the ones to take power in the new world. We will be your undoing."

"We believe that the one helping you stalk the village was not a Predacon," Jetfire countered. "So then, someone who is not a Predacon has been helping you."

Now the memory came. Starscream clenched his hands, ready to see the figure up close that they had seen in the moonlight. The one who was twisted, who vanished around corners into nothing. In the forest-like scene around the village, the figure moved toward the Predacons from the darkness. Red eyes gleamed, but the shadow that moved into the light was not bent in anyway. It simply looked like any other wheeled bot.

The Predacons growled at the bot, suspicious of betrayal. They shifted, considering an attack, but then cracks appeared across the bot's face. Fangs were flashed, before the face smoothed out again. It was almost missed in a blink.

"Relax," he murmured. "I am no biped. We are more alike than you realize."

Thunder Talon transformed. "What are you then?"

"Whatever I need to be," he uttered instead, giving no true answer. "But it does not matter, since we both want the same thing. You came here because you know what I am talking about."

Starscream hated how little information they were getting. Nothing was being revealed about the bots encouraging this movement. They had no name, no location, no sense of who or how many were behind the disappearances. All they had learned was that this bot was a kind of shapeshifter; Starscream remembered encountering one before, when he had hired Makeshift on Earth. And now it made sense that Comet and Charred Mist has lost his trail, since the bot could transform into anything and merge with the forest.

 _I knew it was no spirit or demon,_ he thought to himself. _But this possibility never even crossed our minds. Shapeshifters are extremely rare._

The Predacons were given instructions, but what they connived was already known by the Seekers. The plan was not what they wanted to hear; they had yet to understand the motives. As they watched, Silverbolt sighed, "Why would a shapeshifter want this? What could he gain from having these Predacons murder innocent bots?"

Starscream thought, _And why did he say they are more alike than they realize?_

The Vos lieutenant agreed. "Some bots are sadists, but still he could have used his advanced transforming capabilities to lure and kill the bots himself. I don't see why he brought these Predacons here. Why would he help them or the organization tempt Predacons into crime?"

Nothing Jetfire asked could flush out these answers. All he managed was to find out where the Predacons had tried to hide the shreds of the body. They understood with deep repulsion, that Predacons were made able to filter out metal pieces and cough them out later. All species on Cybertron survived off Energon, thus all they had taken from Jag was his blood, nearly the same that flowed in the many fountains where the Predacons lived

Far from the Manganese Mountains, the dry scraps of Jag had been covered up in a hole in the Sonic Canyons. Seeing the surroundings of the area, however, Starscream's eyes flashed wide in fury.

 _I have been there before!_

Those particular peels and exact holes in the turf were familiar. Seeing them now gave him a sensation of warm air blowing over his body. He felt himself back on crutches in a time of peace. It was an isolated place, but it was one of the areas he had visited with Smokescreen, Onyx, Spade, and his other older friends. The place was beautiful, especially when the setting sun ignited the silver plains with flames of colour. Despite all this, the Predacons had chosen to bury the young bot's remains there.

His gut tightened with sickness. _That place will never be the same for me._

When nothing else could be seized from Thunder Talon, Jetfire requested to be connected to Whiptail. The helper Seeker obeyed his order, but all that they saw in Whiptail's mind was a repeat of Thunder Talon's story. He too, had been picked out from the crowd watching White Dragon. On his own, he had decided to attack a smaller animal. Somehow, the random Predacons that approached them knew about their hunts. A whole new, unrecognizable set of Predacons gave Whiptail the samples of energon, and Air Raid recorded their appearances as well.

"I don't know who these Predacons are, but I will find them," Air Raid growled. "All my Seekers will search for them."

They rewatched the murder and encounter with the shapeshifter from Whiptail's perspective. They saw the remains be covered again. What seemed interesting to note, however, was that after the murder up until they spat out what couldn't be digested, none of them had transformed into their bipedal forms. They had been teleported in and out of the Valley by the unnamed third party.

"I take it that you cannot transform after you have eaten," Jetfire uttered. "Because you have filled the space opened when you are in your least compact form. This information will be useful to us."

Air Raid grumbled on the second floor, "Perhaps, but it is only useful in catching Predacons _after_ they have killed someone."

Jetfire soon wrapped up the interviews. The Seeker down below unplugged the Sky Commander from Whiptail, then Jetfire marched out in front of the bound Predacons. Although he turned his back to those watching from above, they could still clearly hear him and the icy harshness in his tone.

"On behalf of our planet," he proclaimed. "I am repulsed by what you have done. Your belief that you could not help yourself because of your race is false. You alone are responsible for your choices. You hid behind whatever excuse you could find to justify your actions. Both of you will appear before the High Council and face judgement at Trial for the premeditated murder of Jag. Do not expect any mercy, because they will not give you any."

* * *

The custody of the Predacons was soon taken out of the Seekers' hands. Now, the next affair was to be addressed. Starscream's team had been waiting in their rooms, and now all of them had been summoned to meet with Starscream and the four Seeker superiors. Jetfire explained to them all that they had discovered in the Predacons' memories. Each of them reacted with shock, but their expressions could only be so dramatic since they had already known about the murder.

It was the knowledge that they stood on the precipice of something larger that alarmed them. All of them moved as though they would speak, to cry out against the horrors of the new organization. But they kept quiet, understanding their rank. Starscream too, had nothing to say as he waited for instructions.

"This is far worse than we expected," Jetfire said. "Arresting individuals will not suffice. The animal killings have not been isolated events. The Predacon race is unhappy, feeling restrained by the laws. Someone is making us an enemy to strategically turn them against us, making them into sentient weapons against Cybertronians. We cannot confirm if White Dragon is purposefully causing this, but there are bots taking advantage of her speeches and the effect they have on young Predacon minds.

"The enemy at the core of this might not even _be_ Predacons. If they have a shapeshifter among them, they could be anything from a group of Decepticons, a criminal gang from a colony planet, or space pirates. One thing is clear, however: they want control of our planet."

The Sky Commander looked to the Valley's Air Commander. Jetfire spoke to him now, "The rising Predacon population has already posed you problems. You asked me to double the number of Seekers in the Valley, and until now, we have been unable to find Seekers skilled or willing enough to go. The need is greater now."

Jetfire looked deep into Starscream's eyes. There was a startling moment, where Starscream knew he was looking at his true self. As one of the highest ranking military bots on Cybertron, Jetfire had already been told about him. Now, he saw a bot different than the one seen by everyone else in the room. He looked into his past and recognized Starscream standing there among them, yet he said, "Moonwing. I have an offer for you."

Starscream's team shifted in excitement, knowing what he was about to propose.

"We all saw your team. They were brave, and you arrested two aggressive Predacons with no injury to yourselves. Would you be willing to work in Predacon Valley? We need Seekers like you all to uncover this secret and put an end to it."

Jetfire looked even deeper into his eyes. Starscream knew this stare revealed that he didn't entirely trust him. He was trying to reach him in a way that both inspired and intimidated him. When he spoke to him, Starscream grew afraid that the others would understand that Jetfire was not referring to just the present time.

"I know you have the skill. Help us protect Cybertron- it is both my home as well as it is _yours_. If you accept, your pay will be doubled, and I will promote you, Moonwing, to a lieutenant."

 _Lieutenant?_ Starscream's eyes widened. While he would have been excited and proud once before, he felt dread. Could he really return to the Predacon Valley, posing as a lieutenant before Predaking? The moment he set foot back there, he would have to face his wrath. How suspicious would it be, if he returned to work there permanently and snoop around after a long period away from the Valley? Both he and Predaking would know more of his memories had returned- there was all the more reason to distrust him.

 _He would have heard about how I arrested the Predacons, but he might interpret my coming as a plot for revenge._

Aceflight quivered, struggling greatly to keep his mouth shut. When Starscream turned fully to look behind him, he saw six Seekers with eyes shining with a optimistic brilliance he had never seen in them before. They were swelled up with pure honour, but they were also looking at Starscream with pride. They _wanted_ him to accept. They wanted him to lead them.

 _But is there any way to convince Predaking that we are on the same team?_ Then Starscream remembered seeing him, watching White Dragon. _If we are, truly. Who knows how much he's been influenced by her._

On the other hand, despite his terrifying memories, all that he had seen, something about Predaking made him want to trust him. He seemed far too honourable to ever join this movement, too intelligent to fall into its traps. Perhaps they could work together, if a common enemy could be decided.

After a pause, Starscream turned back and replied, "We will do it."

Air Raid straightened up, pleased and undoubtedly relieved.

Jetfire nodded slowly, still holding eye contact with Starscream. "Then you are relieved of your assignment. Other Seekers will investigate the area, searching for the figure you reported. Tomorrow morning, all of you will meet at the warp station overlooking the Valley. Your commander is hereby Air Raid…"

His gaze flickered to the group of young Seekers.

"... and your lieutenant is Moonwing."

 _Lieutenant Moonwing_. The words echoed in his mind with the realization. Starscream turned back to his team, who now saluted him. Yet the joy was sapped out of the moment as Starscream felt a hollow feeling growing inside him. The ignorant Newsparks trusted and loved him with all of their sparks, yet he had just agreed to send them into the heart of the threat with him.

 _What if something happens to them because of my decision? What have I condemned them to?_

As he stood, restrained by this fearful thought, Jetfire addressed him again.

"Now, Lieutenant Moonwing," Jetfire concluded. "You and your team are dismissed."


	21. Chapter 20: Return to the Valley

Each Seeker had stayed in Vos that night, though Starscream doubted any of them rested well if they had tried to at all. He for one, after the fight and watching the interrogation, had been kept up by his running thoughts. Two days without rest and his health was jeopardized; occasionally it was a feeling of heaviness bearing him down, and other times it was a dizzying lightness with involuntary shaking.

These symptoms were worse today, the morning the Seekers warped together to the Valley of the Predacons. One after the other, they stepped out onto the plate of metal underneath the tented roof. Starscream emerged first, stepping out wearily before spying the beige and battle-scarred Seeker waiting at the table. Yet Starscream's focus, and that of the others, promptly strayed to the dull civilization that lay past the table at a certain distance.

Their eyes flickered and tracked the movement of sharp shapes below. Like it had been before, the Predacons seemed small now, but the knowledge that they were much different up close put an ominous chill in their backs.

"So which one you is the new lieutenant?" The beige Seeker's voice was gravel-rough, but meant to be friendly.

"I am." Starscream stepped forward.

"Young I suppose, but I don't care." He stood and saluted him. "Welcome, Lieutenant Moonwing. I'll tell Air Raid you're all here."

The gruff Seeker quickly notified the Air Commander, then told the group, "He'll fly here quick, he will."

A powerful red and silver Autobot rose from the valley and headed directly for them. All of them waited in a salute, but upon landing, their commander said, "Let's not waste time with formalities. Do your job and respect the orders of your superior officers are all I ask."

The group relaxed, but stayed politely quiet.

"Here is the run-down," Air Raid continued. "We are fifteen Seekers in this district currently managing three-hundred and forty-two registered Predacons as of today. With the addition of you, we will now have a tighter hold over this district. At least ten Seekers will be on duty at any given time, but for today and tomorrow, everyone will be here. As for your jobs. Firstly, one Seeker will be up here at the station at any given time."

The commander indicated the sitting Seeker. "This is Sandstorm, one of your colleagues. Prepare to become acquainted with all of the Seekers of the Valley. Fly and train together. Arrests are dangerous, as you know, and we all need to understand and trust each other."

Sandstorm nodded to the statement.

"We patrol the area and shut down all aggressive or suspicious activity we see. We protect those who come to work here, we guard the borders, and now, we have a new task. You all know the new case. So we will have three Seekers on the outskirts, usually flying around on lookout. Redwing and Barrel Roll are out there now. Three Seekers on the edge of the city. Daybreak and Airglow are there at the moment. Everyone else on duty will stay in the center, where the most problems arise. Sunchaser and Skylight are the only ones there currently, so your addition will be greatly appreciated. Near the center is where White Dragon holds her weekly speeches."

He had pointed to each area as he spoke. Now, he held his finger out to indicate the center of the city.

"Let us go there now, before we separate you."

Air Raid rushed off ahead, evidently hurrying to get back to whatever he had been doing. Starscream sprinted after him, and the rest of the group jumped off the cliff face with him. They soared down and crossed the distance that had once taken Starscream long to walk across. It was unbelievable now that he hadn't been able to fly back then. What had once pained him terribly was now a dull gripping around his T-cog. And in a fraction of the time, they tore over the edges of the city.

As they descended to the low roofs, beastly faces turned up at the sight of eight jets flying in a tight formation: a V with an extra tip at its vertex. Starscream wondered what impression they made, what emotions the sight of them brought them. The harder he looked and thought, the more he began to realize his future. From this point on, he was going to work here almost every day indefinitely. Soon, he would know these winding streets, the faces, and the dark secrets he had been oblivious to on his last visit.

For now, his greatest focus was finding Predaking, Darksteel, and Skylynx. They were of more concern to him presently than White Dragon. Darksteel and Skylynx might be working as he had assumed last time, but Predaking was almost guaranteed to be here. His spark was grabbed by a nervous quiver as he sought his massive shape among the smaller Predacons. He touched down beside Air Raid, never spotting Predaking during their flight. Did Predaking realize he was here yet? Had he even been informed of the new Seekers? Surely, he would have protested against Starscream coming, the simple mention of his false name driving him into a fit.

Starscream assumed that Predaking did not have the power to control which and how many Seekers worked in the Valley regardless. As he looked around warily, two jets dropped to meet them. A golden-yellow Seeker popped into his bipedal form and jogged toward him.

"Moonwing!" he yipped.

Sunchaser left the white Seeker behind, sprinting ahead to yank Starscream into a hug.

"Oh, I can't believe it!" he cried. "You chose to work here! You're so brave and amazing! I saw the news and you fighting those Predacons- I'm so happy you're going to be our first ever lieutenant!"

"Sunchaser," Air Raid sighed. "Enough yapping. I have to send these Seekers to work."

Starscream's group was already getting distracted. Their only encounters with Predacons had been in the fight, so the curious Predacons coming closer were setting them off. Looking in different directions, they flexed their fingers, waiting to transform their arms into blasters at any second. Claws were beginning to peek out from one of Charred Mist's hands.

"Now," Air Raid went on. He sent a stern look at Comet and Starscream. "Before we start. I don't want any artificial colouring or jewelry here. One of my other few rules. Vanity should have no place in the Air Command. You are young, but should understand that arrogance created negative stereotypes against Seekers of the past, which we still need to eliminate. That also means no bragging and showing off, understood? There is no shame in being plain."

"Eh?" Comet gasped. "I am all natural!"

"Were you forged with such a shine too?" Air Raid still reprimanded him. "You're in the military, not a fashion show."

"But, Sir, when it comes to a fight I don't c-"

He silenced him with a stare, then looked to Starscream. "And you?"

"I was repaired this way," he answered. And, pointing at the bands under his wrists, he explained, "These are weapons."

"Then you may keep them." Air Raid extracted a rectangular device from his storage space. "We'll see, anyway, what all of your true colours really are."

He waved for the Seekers to stand in a line. Starscream watched with some interest, wondering if any of them had false colouring. His team was checked, but each one remained the same after the device was clicked at them. True to his word, Comet was just naturally made with the chilled markings of black and red. Cloudtips still had the splotches on his wings that gave him his name, and Charred Mist, similarly, still looked like black-burned rust.

When Air Raid finally clicked his device at Starscream, he felt nothing but a tingle in his gut. Despite noticing no change, there was a collective gasp that rose from those at his sides. Starscream stiffened in confusion, glancing over his frame.

No, he hadn't turned grey like his form on Earth, or red like his most recent one. He was still black, silver, and blue. At a closer glance though, he saw that they were looking directly at his face.

"Wow, Moon!" Aceflight laughed. "You sounded like Starscream, sure, but you have the optics too?"

 _My optics!_

He widened his red eyes, his white-pink pupils constricting. The silver had been switched off, and now he could not hide his natural colour. Already, his facial structure was essentially the same as his past, but with his eyes red, this fact would be obvious to anyone. They couldn't resist a laugh, even the strict and tall Twilight chuckled at his joke.

But Sunchaser, still looking on, murmured, "Oh, Predaking won't like that."

He was already feeling a rising surge of panic, but that statement worsened his fear. Predaking especially would see so much in his face that was familiar. If he had been furious at his last visit, then the news and his face was going to drive him into a deeper rage.

"Could I change just my eye colour?" Starscream stammered. "Surely, it has no effect on how we are perceived..."

Comet protested, "What? But I think it looks great! They really pop out against all your other cold colours. Please keep it!"

This came from a red-eyed flier, and now the other, Aceflight, complained, "What's wrong with red?" He pointed at his own red eyes. "I hope you aren't hiding it because of that stereotype that red eyes means evil Decepticon."

A thunderous wing flap sounded above them. Starscream went rigid, wings stiff and pointing out like shards of ice. He certainly felt cold as Predaking transformed and landed, whirling around to face the new recruits. Yet it wasn't them he looked to. Fierce, yellow eyes found Starscream, who couldn't meet his gaze as fear splashed him. The timing could not have been worse, but it was not expected. Predaking would have needed a moment to locate the group.

 _Why did I come here?_ He forgot the honour in the mission now that Predaking stood before him. Starscream kept his eyes turned away from him, but even so, Predaking was sure to see the red glow of them from the side.

Air Raid gave Predaking a halfhearted glance. "What is it? You came to see the new Seekers?"

"Indeed," Predaking rumbled. Starscream suppressed a shiver.

"Anyway, Lieutenant," Air Raid continued, turning his wide back to Predaking. "I will go to the outskirts and you will manage the center."

He walked up to Starscream, not noticing how he was petrified. He put his face by his head and murmured so that only he could hear, "We're putting cameras out there to catch Predacons from leaving in their beast forms."

The Air Commander stepped back and continued, "Organize your team to the areas. Tomorrow, we'll have you all switch areas so that everyone is more familiar with the district."

Starscream nodded stiffly, finding it increasingly more difficult to speak with Predaking watching him. Without looking at him, he could sense his malice. Here was Air Raid flaunting Starscream's new responsibilities, but like this, Starscream could hardly perform this simple duty.

It took all his energy to command audibly, "Aceflight and Cloudtips to the outskirts with Air Raid. Twilight and Soft Breeze to the city's edge. Comet, Charred Mist- stay with me here."

Once they had the chance again to look at the circle of Predacons, Comet and Charred Mist grew anxious. As they stared around themselves at the circle of monstrous faces, they were no doubt remembering that dark night. The smallest Seekers did not stand up to the shoulders of most of the Predacons here, and some claws were the length of their forearms. Comet was likely reliving the sensation of being grabbed, and both looked to the sky- an escape, with flashing gazes. They were clearly nervous to be within pouncing distance of them all.

So, if they stayed with Sunchaser, Starscream was sure that he could calm them down. The only Predacon here radiating aggression was Predaking, but not towards them.

"Have Skylight and Sunchaser show you around," Air Raid said. "Now, Sunchaser- be serious for once. No playing around."

"O-okay, Sir," the golden Seeker answered.

The Seekers flew to their assigned areas, leaving five to remain in the center now. Without Air Raid around to hear, Sunchaser then laughed, "But I still have to introduce you though. Don't you think it will be useful?"

Starscream snuck whatever steps he could take backwards, turning his back to Predaking. His instinct was not to do this; he tingled with anxiety, but he did not want Predaking to see his face or seize any chance to address him.

He moved over to Sunchaser. The white Seeker, Skylight, huffed in reply, "No, it isn't important. You better not start encouraging these guys to like, have their own posse of Predacon _friends_. They just listen in on what we say!"

The five Predacons around them emitted low, whispery growls. There was a hiss that made Charred Mist jump, and when he landed, his claws were fully unsheathed.

With more ferocity than ever expected, Sunchaser rounded on her. "If you don't want anyone listening to _you_ , then just leave!"

Starscream would have been more shocked that the jovial Seeker was capable of aggression. But he could not be now. He heard a heavy footstep as Predaking came closer, distracting his attention.

He was moving further away as Skylight snapped, "Fine then! I'm going for a flight!"

When he edged closer to his Seekers, Predaking did not seem to want to approach him. Clearly, he didn't want to attract too much attention to himself. Starscream hoped he could keep milking this advantage.

After Skylight took off, Sunchaser sighed.

"Finally," he said. "Ack. Now then, here is the ruler of the district, Predaking, and some of my friends who seem to want to meet you."

Two questions came at once. Comet asked, "Is she alright by herself?"

And Charred Mist echoed, " _Friends_?"

"She always goes by herself and sulks on her phone," Sunchaser replied. "Any excuse to write her dumb blog, she takes it. She is a terrible Seeker who only came for the pay. Skylight doesn't care about Predacons at all."

He reached Charred Mist and touched his wing.

"Really, it's fine," Sunchaser said with a look at his claws. "These are my best friends. Moonwing, you remember them? We played with them and you took a nap with Windstorm."

Comet and Charred Mist's faces scrunched up in confusion. It was hard to accept that they were safe, and they expressed doubt, trying to understand what they had just heard. But Charred Mist pulled back his claws and flicked his wings in discomfort.

"Okay now, when you meet Predaking walking around, you should do this." Sunchaser smiled at Predaking and did a sweeping bow. Predaking only glanced at him for half a second before glaring back to Starscream. The golden Seeker stood back up, sensing the atmosphere.

"Your Highness," he murmured. "What is wrong? Was it Skylight again? I'm sorry."

And although Predaking was looking in the direction she had gone, it was not there where he looked.

"No," Predaking answered. "I was merely thinking of something unpleasant."

That something was a someone. Starscream knew this, and he also knew that Sunchaser didn't realize that the animosity towards _Moonwing_ , who resembled Starscream in a few ways, still remained. Since he believed that _Moonwing_ was a separate bot entirely, he thought that by now, Predaking was smart enough to realize the difference.

For Predaking, there was no difference. He could track Starscream by his blood, and now the strength of his presence here, on his land, made it hard to keep his composure. All his senses buzzed with Starscream, an utterly frustrating feeling that couldn't be ignored. He had come to drag Starscream away for questioning, but it wasn't easy with the others around. It was not his wish to attract suspicion; furthermore, the way Starscream moved made it seem as though he was nervous and would flee if necessary.

 _Nervous of what? What is he planning?_ was how Predaking interpreted it.

Sunchaser pointed to each Predacon and announced their names. When they stalked closer, the young fliers flinched, feet sliding on the ground.

"Why aren't they transforming?" Comet demanded in his fear.

"They don't feel like it," Sunchaser shrugged. "This form is less compact and more comfortable for them. But you don't need to worry."

Predaking hardly cared what was being said, and he tried to gain distance on Starscream. Without looking, Starscream heard him, and stepped back into the group deep enough that his Seekers gave him a barrier. Predaking clenched his fists in irritation. He was going to have to be vocal, since he was being given no choice.

"Moonwing," he uttered.

Starscream's wings tilted back, pressing together. He slowly turned to him.

"There is something I wish to discuss with you."

He lost his voice. He knew what Predaking intended, but he couldn't think up a way out of this without acting strangely. Realistically, he should accept and listen to the ruler with the seriousness expected of his position. It was the only reason he had turned, so that it would not appear that he was ignoring him. But Predaking had full view of his face, and Starscream felt trapped where he stood.

"It will have to be alone."

Starscream didn't think he could move his feet. Predaking was waiting, eyes hard and cold. This had been a long time coming, and Starscream had just recently decided he would try to explain everything to Predaking. Here now though, Starscream saw in his expression that he hated Starscream for more things than he presently remembered. Was Predaking one to fall into his emotions? Starscream only remembered being cornered and chased by the Predacons in the past, and long ago when he had last visited, Predaking had snatched him in his claws.

He assumed because of these things that Predaking was a rageful character who, once alone with him, would show his true personality. But surely, he wouldn't dare injure him? Everyone would know he had done it if Starscream returned with dents and claw marks. Thinking this, he forced himself to abandon the protection of his group. It was unusual for the others when he did not speak, but they let him walk off before listening to Sunchaser again.

Starscream wordlessly followed Predaking, squeezing his arms tight. He went with jerking wings and quick blinks. A warmth began to spread through his body, a faint singe of the particular pain he knew well. Nothing was said by Predaking, but he kept turning a suspicious eye on him as they continued on.

They did not go as far as Starscream had expected. Predaking led him into a house very near to where they had left the Seekers. Starscream ultimately decided that if he were to be attacked, his scream would be audible from here to the next neighbourhood. He stood as Predaking unlocked the place, which Starscream started believing to be his home, then he moved in after him. Once the sky was blocked off, a worse feeling of desperation came over him. Yet Predaking had wanted him held in a private location where he could not fly out of. Now, they could speak freely.

"Why have you come here?" Predaking whirled on him, voice now rising into a snarl. "I made it clear that you are not welcome!"

After the first address, Predaking was already striding towards him, backing him to a wall. Starscream threw out his hands, waving them to signal the need for calm.

"I-I mean no harm…" His voice shook. Stringing the words together was difficult. "I came to work on the case. You want it solved too, no doubt…"

"You?" Predaking muttered. "You would never put yourself in danger. You could have let anyone else come here. But I see your ulterior motives. You saw an opportunity to raise your rank."

"Th-that's n-"

Predaking stomped two steps forward and raised his shoulders. Starscream crouched down, interrupted as Predaking snapped, "What are your intentions for the Predacons and the Air Commander? You will do nothing but wreck havoc here. If you even think of hurting any one of my citizens, know that I will find a way to end you with no one knowing it was me."

Accompanying the snarled threat, he shot out a hand and pinned Starscream to the wall by the shoulder. He yelped in response, and when he felt his fingers curl, Starscream stammered, "I-I have no such intentions…"

Yet it could all be up to Predaking's interpretation. How would Starscream be able to make any arrest with that kind of threat? He had stabbed the eye of Thunder Talon in their fight. If he acted out of defense again, would Predaking really seek to kill him?

The weight of the death threat sunk in. Starscream's neck tightened and he pleaded, "Listen to me. I have changed! I was asked to come here by Jetfire, t-to help you…"

"You use misleading words, trying to pin yourself on my side," Predaking growled. His grip tightened. "By your nature, you are selfish and deceitful. But you will never be on my side. I see your fear and know that you remember our last true encounter. You killed Skylynx and Darksteel, and now, you will kill more Predacons in revenge. All this while finding a way to kill Air Raid, framing a Predacon and taking his position."

"Wh-what?" Starscream stammered. "What do you mean… I killed them?"

Predaking boomed, "You did! Do you not remember leading them into a trap? I found their bodies blasted by the weapons. The only two living Predacons I thought would ever be, and their short lives were ended because of you!"

The sudden connection was made. He remembered the end of the chase, but not only that, he realized the tragedy Predaking felt was the same Starscream felt for Jag. Skylynx and Darksteel had barely lived for months, far shorter than the Newspark Jag before he was murdered. Yet Starscream saw the rush as he sprinted through the unfamiliar turns of the fortress Darkmount. His spark was only occupied by terror, such that he could hardly think.

Something had been stepped on, a trap for intruders. Starscream barely threw himself out of the way before lasers shot down the hall. His reflexes had hurled him low to the ground, and he had covered his head protectively while the dying shrieks of the Predacons ended abruptly.

"It was an accident!" Starscream gasped. "I didn't know about the defensive systems-"

"An accident?" He ground his teeth. "You killed them to save yourself."

To Starscream, intentionally killing them still would have been justifiable. Predaking hissed this statement as though it was wrong, something nefarious- and Starscream was wrought with confusion. He didn't know what logic to provide now, and hoped that the truth of his accidental killings would be enough.

Predaking yanked him into the air. For a moment, it seemed that he would throw him, but then Predaking held himself back. Starscream was dropped and crushed back into the wall again. The sudden action startled him into thinking there could be no discussion. Everything was turning sour so swiftly, and now it felt certain Predaking would not listen. Being alone with him had been a mistake. He needed a third party, Optimus, to protect him.

"What do you want from me?" Starscream gasped out. This felt the same as it had been with Arcee, but much worse now. He tugged at the one arm holding him still, but he couldn't make it move even a centimetre. Predaking was not using his full strength, reeling Starscream into a cold realization that a vastly powerful being had him cornered. How had he allowed this? He tried to wiggle to the side, but Predaking pressed harder. He had put too much faith into the belief of a positive conclusion.

"What do I want?" Predaking uttered. "I want you dead, but there are many who do not. So, as a compromise, I want you out of my life. But how will that happen, when you make a show on the news, when you scheme and snag higher Seeker positions?" He shook Starscream in a way that his limbs flapped limply like a ragdoll's. "But you will _never_ become Air Commander. This is the last straw. You shall not have such power over anyone, _especially_ not over my brethren."

Starscream's thoughts stumbled as they tried to imagine what exactly Predaking would do to stop him. Predaking's brought his flaming, yellow eyes close, and Starscream debated how hard he should try to escape. Could he? His hands were free, but his claws could not damage Predaking in a single blow. He wouldn't have time to maim him before Predaking reacted to an attack. Perhaps he could transform an arm fast enough into a shock blaster, but what if one hit wasn't enough? He could swing his legs up and kick him under the jaw, but as with anything else, it seemed nothing he could do would be fast enough to free himself. Any resistance would only break out Predakng's barely contained wrath.

In comprehension of his helplessness, he prayed that someone would burst in. He begged for Optimus to come, wherever he was, like last time. Yet Starscream already knew it was hopeless, so his body clicked into a mode of the past. It was an automatic reflex of compliance, learned long ago once he knew to fear Megatron's wrath. Now, he understood his terrifying memories of Megatron beating him, of why he had not fought back. Starscream wanted to screech, fight, fly away- but all he could do was shiver silently under Predaking's hold.

He was so scared that if he made a threatening move, the counterattack of the powerful Predacon would decimate him.

Starscream cringed and started sinking. His knees had given up, but the force of Predaking's hold kept him on his feet. Unconsciously, he began preparatory actions. His old habits of trying to avoid more harm from coming to him. He tried to be small, non-threatening, and he dropped his wings down and widened his eyes. Such a tactic had worked on Megatron at times, making him seem weak and easy to dominate. Somehow looking weaker made Megatron feel it was not worth the effort to hurt him. But here, no pity was evoked in Predaking, who hardly paid attention to Starscream's display of innocence.

"Well?" Predaking glared with the sharpness of blades. "What have you to say for yourself?"

He didn't think any answer could be acceptable. The burning was intensifying in his chest, infecting his throat and clutching it. Starscream stuttered out with tight strain, "R-release me."

When the yellow eyes narrowed again, Starscream's regret panicked him. Yet his body still refused to move, forcing him to feel more helpless. And now, the fear and the pain in his chest was making it hard to think intelligently. A quick loop played in his mind; through his eyes, Starscream tried to beg, _Don't hit me, don't hit me…_

He expected Predaking to drive his other fist into his exposed gut at any moment. And if a claw got into the blow, Starscream could get seriously hurt. He already started imagining that Predaking might slash his throat if he grabbed him there. It would probably be accidental, but it could happen with Predaking raging like this. Starscream felt the memories of being constantly snatched by the throat by Megatron and lifted. He already felt like he was choking, as though the energon was not reaching his brain.

The white-hot pain scorched his veins as he panicked in stillness. He wanted to move but couldn't. Staying made him crazed by fear. Starscream imagined Predaking's clawed fingers moving for his throat. They weren't, but Starscream convinced himself that his neck was about to get cut by his claws, squirting out his blood in a fatal injury. Predaking wondered why Starscream suddenly moved his head oddly, putting his chin down to his chest. But it didn't matter so much since Starscream's silence was infuriating.

"Answer me!" he barked.

His throat was so tight that Starscream felt he couldn't speak. He tried to, but the pain stirred the pool of fear further. He tried to show it in his eyes, those tragically red eyes that he would have changed to silver if he knew how to. He willed Predaking to see the new him despite the familiar face, but Predaking did not understand his fear the way Starscream wanted. His captor felt nothing for terrorizing him, holding him against his will. It was deeply satisfying to wipe away his smugness- _to put him in his place_ , thought Predaking, since Starscream was dangerous when he thought he could control anything.

Predaking wanted him to fear being at his mercy. Now, he shook Starscream, who emitted the softest, cut-off gasp. He closed his eyes tightly and quaked. A black hand pawed his chest, but Predaking grabbed his moving wrist and pressed it to the wall. The pressure against him was agonizing tight. Starscream's wings ground into the wall and worst of all, he truly could not move anymore. No more chance was left even of using his claws or blasters, or his feet when Predaking moved in closer.

In extreme fright, he gave a desperate yank, but Predaking clenched him in place. Still, not even a smidge of escape was possible. While Predaking tried to get him to meet his gaze, Starscream kept his red eyes closed and had started to rapidly ventilate.

Now, Predaking started to notice that Starscream was unnaturally warm. With high heat tolerance, Predaking had taken a while to truly realize it. He grew confused and slackened his grip. As he wondered why Starscream was breathing so heavily, Starscream was expecting now the punishment of resisting. He crumpled further in expecting all sorts of horrible things to happen next. Limply, he swayed and wondered what Predaking wanted to do to him when no one was around. Would it be like what he, Skylynx, and Darksteel had intended when they had chased him?

Remembering Skylynx and Darksteel again brought fresh heat. It was a strange, painful combination of self-hate, grief, and fear. But Starscream felt now that the irrational Predaking was going to kill him. He forgot about investigations, laws- suddenly, he thought Predaking was going to slit his stomach open and pull him apart. He even imagined that Predaking would transform and bite him, swallowing his gushing blood... Hadn't he seen Predaking staring at White Dragon with a certain aspiration? Now, he had Starscream pinned like prey, his superior strength overwhelming the small flier. Or maybe, he had always intended to devour him, and would have had he, Darksteel, and Skylynx caught him…

Predaking's anger misted away at the sight of Starscream. Something was very wrong with him. He let go, and Starscream melted immediately to the floor. Reaching for his chest, Starscream trembled then set his hands over it. His breathing was awful, vainly trying to cool him down. Seeing him in this way made Predaking suddenly remember that Starscream had physical health problems. With the realization, Predaking also knew that he had caused this.

He crouched and pulled Starscream into a seated position.

"What is wrong?" Predaking asked, consciously trying to soften the question.

It had something to do with his chest. Starscream didn't answer, but the heat against Predking's hands as he held him was an indicator. Such hotness was damaging Starscream's organs, and if he was grabbing his chest like that…

 _His spark chamber_.

Predaking's previous emotions drained away. Now, he was the one worried. It had been his last intention to do this to Starscream. He had hated him, but none of his threats had been serious. To himself, it was obvious that he would be honourable. He had only wanted to intimidate Starscream, scaring him away from plotting with his death threats. But could it be that he had been too inconsiderate? Starscream's health could not handle his panic attack.

 _Might this kill him?_ Predaking felt his own spark jump. No, this couldn't be happening. He had never imagined even hurting him, but what if Starscream died today, under his hands? All at once, he saw Starscream differently. He saw his dropped wings and thin body shaking in fragility. There was no enemy here. Only a clear feeling that he had been the aggressor, and Starscream, a victim.

Predaking surprised himself by the sudden protective urge he felt to help him. He scooped Starscream into his arms, who was too distracted to understand what was happening anymore. Bursting from his home, Predaking sprinted into the open space and sought any Seeker that he could.

He spotted Sunchaser alone, watching his friends carefully playing with the two Seekers in some kind of training exercise. Predaking charged up to him, and Sunchaser jumped at the sound of his thundering footsteps. Since his lieutenant had not been gone for long, Sunchaser was shocked to see him collapsed now in Predaking's arms.

"Something is wrong with him," Predaking rushed. "Send for help."

Starscream twitched and his head rolled. For a few seconds, he thought the strong arms holding him were Optimus'. It had been quite calming. He then heard Predaking shouting for help from someone, and he slowly drew back to the present.

 _He's helping me?_ he thought, but the burning persisted. Starscream tossed and groaned in agony.

"Ratch-" Starscream mewled. "Ge… Ratch...et."

Now he too was starting to realize what the burning was. His intense stress had activated the energy still around his organs, damaging them. The pain in his chest was more dangerous than he had realized at first. Ratchet had not been lying before when he spoke of stress being life-threatening to him. The heat was melting his spark chamber, encroaching on his very life source.

"Ratchet," Predaking ordered. "We must send him to him, _now_."

Without wasting a second, Sunchaser squeaked over his commlink, "A-Air Raid! Contact Ratchet! Moonwing's having a medical emergency!"

After saying this, Sunchaser pelted over and started petting Starscream over his head and wings. He yanked back his hands from the heat, unable to hold them for too long on Starscream. By now the others had noticed the scene, and the Predacons bounded over with Comet and Charred Mist. All their eyes widened at the sight of Starscream's fever-gripped body. They were too shocked to find their voices in this stressful time. For a silent minute, Starscream writhed weakly and panted in Predaking's arms, and for him and Predaking, it was like an eternity.

Worry struck Predaking as Starscream stayed untreated, perhaps about to perish at any second. Though Starscream didn't seem scared now of him, he seemed afraid in recognizing what was happening to him.

Word hit Ratchet very quickly, and a groundbridge portal was authorized before them. When a small team of paramedics tore in with Ratchet backing them, Predaking was relieved. Seeing that he already had Starscream, Ratchet commanded him to follow. He bore Starscream through the portal into an Iaconian hospital room. As he set Starscream onto a berth, Ratchet saw Starscream's hands laying over his chest, and instantly understood. He gruffly waved Predaking back towards the portal, clearing him from the room.

He hadn't wanted to leave, but Predaking obediently stepped through and teleported back to his land. The portal closed soon after, and a collection of eyes stared at him. At first, he thought there was accusation in their gazes directed at him. With a swell of guilt and denial, he was about to defend himself.

Then, he realized they were only worried, just as he was inside.

Sunchaser gasped, "Will he be okay?

The Predacons transformed, shrinking down and looking to their leader. He sighed, "He should be, now that he is in Ratchet's care."

"What happened?" Charred Mist whispered.

Predaking would have been willing to admit his mistake, but the Seekers would not take it well. They would not understand why he had harassed who was supposed to be a Newspark. To hide Starscream's identity from them, he said, "There was a problem with his organs, due to his health condition."

It was not a lie at the very least.

"Oh…" Charred Mist breathed. "He mentioned it before, but… I forgot."

"Right." Comet dipped his head. "We never see him in pain."

"But that's why he recharges so much," Charred Mist remembered. "His body shuts down…"

The brown Predacon, Fangblade, said, "Is this the first time this happened?"

The two Seekers nodded solemnly.

"Do you think his health is getting worse?" Comet fretted. "Is he fit for work?"

Charred Mist mumbled, "I hope Ratchet can fix him."

Predaking straightened himself up. "Ratchet is the most capable doctor known on Cybertron. Moonwing will be in good hands."

With that, he needed to escape them before they asked too many questions. Predaking walked off, then once he had room, he transformed and expanded his massive wings. The initial, powerful flap still gusted them with wind as he lifted up into the sky. In the air, distant from them, he felt more relief. But not complete relief, since he kept imagining himself cornering Starscream with his questions. He remembered Starscream again and noticed finally how he buckled into submission instantly, so scared that he was going to be punished.

 _Was I wrong to do it?_

He wondered whether holding back would have been better than not threatening Starscream at all. However, the whole idea felt sickening now. Starscream was supposed to be the danger, the evil one, yet now Predaking felt that he had adopted that role unintentionally. Still, he did not know why it felt so wrong to abuse Starscream. The malicious Starscream he remembered did not seem to be the same one panicking in his unyielding grasp.

Predaking let out an uneasy growl to himself, then turned his head at the sound of a distant jet. Stiffening his wings and gliding, he watched a yellow Seeker rise into the sky. There was only one jet of that colour here, therefore it could only be Sunchaser. And from his height and direction, Predaking knew that he was heading for Iacon.

 _Should I go there too?_ he wondered.

Optimus and Ratchet would suspect him, since he had carried Starscream in. Shifting his fangs, he realized it would be best if he explained his regret and actions to them. Yet unlike the Seeker, Predaking was not legally permitted to fly outside of this district. He spun around, diving back towards his home. If he was going to have to take the groundbridge back to Iacon, then he would need the money to pay the fee.

Then, he considered that he could do more than speak to the Prime and the doctor. Perhaps he could listen to Starscream, to better understand what had happened today. If he at least gave Starscream the chance to explain himself, could something be learned? That remained to be seen, but in visiting him, Predaking could possibly negate some of the damage he had caused.


	22. Chapter 21: The Story of Moonwing

When he woke, everything in his chest ached. There was a tight square of pain centered in his chest, and when Starscream dipped his head down, he saw the fresh welds where Ratchet had operated. Yet his temperature was normal, and he was so relaxed that he assumed he had also been given a sedative. He shifted up the berth slightly, looking to see who was with him in the room.

For now, it was just Ratchet and Optimus. Being here with them brought him a great sense of peace. Even though he was sore in a hospital, he felt far better here with those who would not intentionally hurt him. It was as though the problems of the world were pushed away, or non-existent, as he felt like naive Moonwing in their care.

"There are two guests who wish to see you," Optimus rumbled.

"What? Who?" Starscream whispered. He wondered who it would be. His mind went to Knockout or the vehicons, but when Optimus left and returned, he brought with him first a golden Seeker.

"Sunchaser?" he murmured. "Why are you here?"

He padded to the berth. "I wanted to see if you were okay, and I can tell the others too."

Sunchaser sat on the berthside to ease him into a hug. "Does it still hurt?"

"A little. But I will be fine now."

"When will you be coming back? Everyone's so worried about you."

Ratchet interrupted, "He won't be fit to work or even fly until he heals. I forbid him from doing any strenuous activities for two weeks."

Cybertronian weeks were long, too long for Starscream in the beginning of a crisis. He looked past Sunchaser to Ratchet, widening his eyes and protesting, " _What_? But I have to go back! We haven't even begun investigating!"

Optimus replied steadily, "Investigations will continue with or without your presence."

His spark sank. It was true; Optimus was reminding him that no one was relying solely on him to solve the mystery. But he could not stand being away from his Seekers for so long, abandoning them in the Predacon Valley just after dragging them there.

"Your team's talented," Sunchaser assured him. "We will all be fine."

Starscream sighed, then said, "Keep me updated on everything that goes on."

"Of course, Lieutenant." He squeezed him, but carefully. "I better go now. I'm glad to see you're okay- everyone was so scared to see you like that. Oh, er- what happened exactly? Air Commander's wondering if you're too unwell to work there."

"I should be fine." Starscream cast his eyes down. "It was my fear, to be alone with Predaking."

"O-oh. Did he do something?"

Anything Starscream told him now would get passed on to the other Seekers. Possibly even the news. If there was already dissent against the Predacons, and suspicions and surveillance…

 _If I spoke against Predaking now, his reputation could be tarnished. How many Cybertronians would hear that the Predacon leader antagonized a Seeker lieutenant unjustly?_

"No," Starscream lied, tone gentle. He wondered if it was his first complete lie since his reawakening, or at least one that held such importance. Nonetheless, it came so easily, and Optimus would know now that he was capable of lying. Hopefully, Optimus would understand the ultimate intention.

"Okay," Sunchaser breathed, sounding relieved. "It was a little strange when he pulled you away like that. I guess if that'd make me nervous, it must have really been hard for you. Well, I should definitely get going. Bye, Moon."

Sunchaser gave him one more hug before skipping out of the room. Starscream suddenly remembered he had another visitor. Now, he doubted it would be other Seekers or his other friends. Optimus left then returned with heavy footsteps behind his in the hall. Wings clenching back, Starscream waited for Predaking's certain arrival.

The sedative was not enough to keep all of his fear at bay. Predaking entered, and a monitor beeped at Starscream's sudden stress. Those yellow eyes looked over him, but not in any malicious way. They viewed the silvery marks where Starscream had been operated on, yet Starscream did not know this was what he was searching for. Just being ignorant of Predaking's thoughts frightened him.

When the pieces of the door clicked shut, they were free to talk.

"Starscream," Predaking spoke, and the direct use of his name gave him a shiver again. "I have spoken to Optimus and Ratchet about what happened. I take full responsibility for harming you. I want to inform you that none of my threats were true, and that I did not wish to injure you in our encounter."

Starscream was blown away by the clarity in his speech. All he had ever heard was tense bitterness or rage whenever addressed by him in the past. His wings relaxed, and he turned his head in expectation of more.

"Thus, I am sorry for acting as I had. With the guidance of the Prime, you may speak now and I will listen."

Surely, this was the safest way to proceed, but now Starscream didn't know what to say. He blinked back, feeling the awkwardness stretch in the passing seconds.

Optimus prompted him, "Tell Predaking of your first stellar cycle."

Starscream looked at him, his eyebrows wrinkling and displaying his confusion. _What good would that do?_ He thought. _Shouldn't we talk about why I chose to work in Predacon Valley, and the impending threat there?_

"What?" he mumbled.

Predaking shifted his weight to the other leg, and Starscream twitched.

Optimus answered gently, "What was it like not knowing who you were? What did you do, and how did you discover your identity?"

It was easier to start if Starscream stared at Optimus as though he was his intended audience.

"Alright then..." Starscream murmured hesitantly. "If you want to know, though the beginning is obvious. I had no memories and I believed everything I was told. I thought I was Moonwing, a Newspark and an accidental victim. I didn't know the true cause of my injury; nevertheless, I was crippled and constantly tired. I could not stand, and at times, I could barely wake up..."

He became self-conscious, seeing Predaking's face in his peripheral vision. Starscream hesitated, but then realized no one was going to speak until he said more.

"I…uh, had to rely on everyone. I needed help taking energon, I needed to be carried, guarded… I got sick easily depending on my intake, which is still the case…"

Starscream lowered his wings, nervous and embarrassed to be forced to talk even though he still thought fondly of those times.

"I attended elementary school just like anyone else. Smokescreen took me there, and after, I studied with Optimus or Ultra Magnus. I learned materials that I had forgotten, or new things, such as the updated Cybertronian Law. They knew that one day I would know myself, yet they wanted to make my path into law enforcement easier. Of course, I was ignorant to this at the time..."

And for once, Starscream appreciated Ultra Magnus since the event that made him feel betrayed. Ultra Magnus had had the patience to help him, and his strictness had taught Starscream the most material the fastest.

"Smokescreen and a vehicon teacher taught me to have confidence in myself, no matter my condition. I even learned to speak despite fearing the sound of my voice. I always knew I resembled Starscream, thus it made me shy and more dependent on others. At the same time, Smokescreen tried to help me stand. It seemed hopeless at first, and the ridicule I received would have controlled me had Smokescreen not been so encouraging. I pushed myself, and over time, I could stand, then walk. I was given crutches, and I gained more strength eventually."

This was becoming far easier.

"Smokescreen had me join clubs to meet other bots and make friends. Though he disapproved of some, at two book clubs I starting meeting many different bots of various past factions, races, and worlds. I enjoyed friendship to the point that I happily accepted all invitations given to me. At the clubs and at the school, everyone treated me amicably, even those who had ridiculed me before."

Very slowly, Starscream's gaze had moved to Predaking. But not yet to his eyes.

"I wanted to heal, but doing anything strenuous hurt. Yet I followed that chance that if I pushed past the pain, I would become stronger. Over time I learned how to run, though by the time I could do that, I had learned who I was. One of my past lieutenants had found me, and she stirred me into questioning everything. Optimus did not hide the truth once I had asked. We agreed instead, that I would move on. I accepted then that I was not Moonwing, and although I was scared to remember the awful deeds of my past, I wanted to do something beneficial with the life I was given. If I have no choice but to be Starscream, the former Second-in-Command of the Decepticons, then why not put my past skills to use?

"I trained harder, even as some memories plagued me in the form of pain and nightmares. I studied, I exercised, I worked, and I volunteered. It often distracted me from my fear of myself, but it was also deeply satisfying to progress in a new way. Once I could transform, I entered police training with three of my vehicon friends. I was stronger, and I felt ready. I would be with these vehicons now had I not been spotted by Silverbolt, who invited me to join an advanced Seeker program."

Now, Starscream understood that he had said more than Optimus had asked of him. But he wouldn't stop when the end was so near. He lifted his head to see Predaking's face.

"There, I trained harder still, studied more, and became close to a new generation of Seekers. When they looked up to me, trusted me, I was taken by powerful emotions. We worked for Vos, conducting separate missions, but stayed close. It was on our first mission together that we fought the Predacons. I never would have expected to be sucked into this mystery, but if I can help save Cybertron, I will. If I am to live with this freedom, then I will redeem myself thousands of times if I have to, by saving thousands, millions of lives if necessary. When Jetfire asked me to go to the Valley, I knew that it was my duty to go. My Seekers, my friends- although I fear for them, they too are willing to go through fire and steel to protect this planet."

 _Our home_ , as Jetfire had put it. Starscream's home, Optimus', Ratchet's, and Predaking's. Now, he felt obliged to add this.

Starscream said, "So now, I want nothing more than to fly for Cybertron, to fight for our home. However it needs to be done."

When he finally stopped talking, the silence was so deep he felt faint in it. He only started to realize the power in his words derived from the unquenchable determination of his dream.

"Starscream," Predaking repeated.

He raised his wings tentatively.

"If this is your purpose, then I will allow you to strive for it. You may enter my land in peace, serving it as its lieutenant. May you find the way to conquer this new enemy of ours."

Optimus' expression was of deep satisfaction. Had he trusted the emotions behind Starscream's words as well and believed in them? Starscream hoped that he regretted nothing up until this point for bringing him back. Even Ratchet looked surprised, and stayed quiet. Had he been able to pull even Ratchet into a feeling of optimism? He had always had the sense that Ratchet imagined his downfall, but wondered if it would change now.

Starscream wished others had heard him: Ultra Magnus, Windblade, Arcee- but even those who had not disdained him would have benefited from this.

Ratchet muttered, "Do not become too inspired yet, since you will not be working for the time being. Remember that. If you don't rest, you could permanently damage your internal organs."

It did dishearten him a little after the speech he had just delivered. Yet he nodded in understanding.

"But, you may return home with Optimus at this time. If you feel any more pain at all, contact me immediately," Ratchet continued. "It is probably for the best that you have direct contact with me."

Two things shocked him pleasantly. One: he had heard Ratchet refer to Optimus' living quarters as Starscream's home too. Two: Ratchet was going to give him his personal number. Very carefully, Starscream opened his cockpit and took out his cellular device. He passed it to Ratchet to put in all the information, realizing how few bots likely had this honour. However, it could also mean that Ratchet expected to see him injured again.

 _From my health problems, or because of the missions I will undertake?_ Though having Ratchet a minute away from him meant that if one of his Seekers got hurt, he could call in the world's best doctor in no time.

After this, Starscream heard Predaking taking his leave. There was no uncomfortable goodbye; he was out of the room by the time Starscream saved Ratchet's contact. He wasn't offended that Predaking had used the distraction, since it did not seem they could really have true closure after what had happened.

Soon after that, Starscream was detached from all machines and allowed to place himself onto his feet. It wasn't difficult to walk, but Optimus stayed at his side and watched over him. They exited the hospital with Starscream only feeling a slight throbbing of the burns inside. Yet he was impatient, wanting to connect to his Seekers even if he could not fly. As they walked, Starscream tried to contact one of them, and he chose Charred Mist. He was in the center of the Valley, and he was so shy that he would say no more to Starscream than what was necessary.

He didn't mind if Optimus heard. He might as well perceive Starscream as serious with his job.

"Charred Mist," he said into his commlink. "What is happening?"

"O-oh! Lieutenant. Nothing big has happened since you departed. It's… it's nice to hear from you. What-"

"Sunchaser will tell you everything when he gets back. Do you know about the city's edge and the beyond patrols?"

Charred Mist answered, "Oh, yes. Air Raid's doing his…. thing, and they're having no trouble."

The new cameras. It was good that no one seemed to have noticed what they were doing.

"Nothing's going on, but since Sunchaser's left, it feels a lot different. The atmosphere is… foreboding, Lieutenant. Sunchaser's friends went home or to work, and now all we seem to get are some dirty looks. No one speaks to us or threatens us, but it is clear that they do not welcome us."

"Do you know what the reason is?" Starscream inquired.

"I… I'm not sure," Charred Mist answered. "They just hate us. Maybe they don't like Seekers? But I really don't know why."

Starscream heard Comet cut in from the background, "You think it's because we brutally kicked the tails off those two Predacons?"

Starscream shook his head to himself. "I remember Redwing, one of the Seekers there, mention that they didn't like us because in the belief that we are unjust and commit police brutality. The hatred applies to more than just our group."

"Ha, what?" Comet guffawed. "The Predacons think that _we're_ aggressive? That's the dumbest thing I've heard… ever, I would say!"

Starscream's face stayed still as he thought about what to propose as a solution. The Seekers before them must have been doing something unpopular if the Predacons firmly hated their presence. Redwing complained about them, Skylight was openly insulting, and Air Raid barely acknowledged Predaking. It was possible that the only Seeker that anyone liked of the fifteen was Sunchaser.

"What are you doing at the moment?" Starscream asked them.

Charred Mist reported, "Just checking out some alleys, Sir."

"Digging in scrapbins," Comet added.

"Perhaps consider speaking to some of the Predacons."

"Eh?" Comet called. "They can't even talk in those horrible beast forms!"

"Try to make whatever positive impression you can." Starscream slipped in a commanding tone. "Ask them about their anger, what they want changed. If they think we listen to their problems, then they are more likely to side with us."

"I see," Charred Mist murmured. "The more they hate us, the more they will be drawn to the secret organization."

"Precisely. We have to cut off their support."

Comet said, "Mission: be friendly. Got it, but they look like they'd rather scratch my paint off than listen."

"We'll do our best, Lieutenant," Charred Mist concluded.

Starscream also wanted to spread the same message to the Seeker's on the city's edge. They were not likely to be busy, and they would come into contact with a few Predacons there. He called Twilight, who fortunately was such a logical bot that she understood the tactic immediately. Soft Breeze was hesitant, but went with the plan.

A new voice cut in near the end.

"Is that the Lieutenant? He alright?"

So the news had spread to all the Seekers.

"It's Airglow," Twilight informed him. "Daybreak's coming too. You should explain this to them yourself."

He explained his idea without mentioning that the inspiration came from Sunchaser. But Airglow laughed anyway, "That sounds as loony as Sunchaser's ideas. Really? You think exchanging how-do-you-do's will change an entire ideology? It's infectious, like a plague. If you want to stop the threat, you gotta stop White Dragon's damned speeches. Even if we're nice, they ain't going to like the laws. And if they don't like the laws, they won't like the military police that enforce them."

Another voice shuffled in, "She's right. If anything might work, it would be the big changes. But we obviously can't give them what they want. It's crazy! They want to transform wherever they want- imagine, these predatory creatures bursting out wherever and whenever! In the library, the hospitals, clubs… There's almost three-hundred and fifty of them!"

Twilight explained, "That was Daybreak. And she also has a point, but I agree with you, Moonwing. If we can't give them what they want, then being stricter on the laws will only anger them. We have to be empathetic to them. At least then they won't side so blatantly against us."

Starscream soon cut off the call and turned to Optimus.

"Is there anything the High Council can do about this?" he asked. "This solution only seems temporary."

They had entered the High Tower and were taking the elevator up. Optimus rumbled, "It is indeed a temporary plan, albeit a good one. Perhaps a first step. If the second step must be true legal change, then perhaps it is time to consider it. Unfortunately, the support of the High Council alone will not be sufficient."

"So it is not so simple," Starscream sighed. "The public would never agree to it. Especially after the news about those two Predacons."

The media was going to be in uproar indefinitely over this. No one had ever supported Predacons even in bot-form, due to their claws. And even after claws became legal for everyone, the Predacons had been painted as thieves, no better than illegal Decepticons stalking the night streets. The anger had risen over the first animal killings, but everything had blown up after a Cybertronian had been murdered.

Arcee, Windblade, Jazz, and Bulkhead were the current High Council Members, ever since Ratchet returned to medical work and allowed someone else to take his place in the next election. Starscream wasn't on the best terms with them, but he trusted that Optimus could sway them. He didn't understand why Optimus hadn't tried to take a position in the earlier election, since he was embedded into each issue of Cybertron as it was. It was as though he was the leader of the High Council themselves despite having no named position.

Suddenly, he appreciated Optimus' leadership qualities. Obviously, he had never cared for Optimus in the past, yet now the knowledge that he was a Prime was a refreshing lift of weight.

 _He will know what to do. He would do anything to protect the innocents._

"What will _you_ do, then?" Starscream asked.

 _Why do I need to stress about solutions? My job is to find information._ It felt good to release some responsibility. _And I shouldn't be playing as leader either. Shouldn't I be trying to avoid that?_

Optimus did not answer right away with a solution. Disappointed, Starscream realized he was too optimistic. Optimus could not just brainwash the thousands of citizens at will. He would have to struggle to convince them the same way as anyone.

"I must take time to consider a possible plan of action," Optimus answered vaguely. "I will first consult the High Council and the military commanders about the issue."

 _It is a hard problem_ , Starscream conceded. _If the High Council gives too much support suddenly, the population won't believe they are represented well. They might even demand for a new High Council. Then, they lose all control._

Optimus added, "Hopefully, the organization within the Predacon Valley will soon be apprehended. If the citizens believe that the danger has disappeared, then the views toward Predacons can more easily be changed."

 _That's where I come in_ , Starscream thought. _And again, it can't be simple. We're fighting the ideology of an unnamed, unlocated group. And to stop them, we have to find them all and destroy everything they have. Yet they have non-Predacons helping them, one shapeshifter- how will we track down our enemies like that?_

If Optimus needed to think, then Starscream was going to have to as well. Nothing would change until his job had been done, until the organization had been destroyed.

* * *

Think he did, for days while he kept asking his Seekers about the Valley. Nothing had turned up but overall dissent. The Predacons who spoke back to Starscream's Seekers, if they chose to speak at all, shot back sarcastic remarks or insults. Apparently, they already had a derogatory term for them that they had heard before.

 _Little Seekers_ , they called them. In Cybertronian, they used a diminutive of the word _Seeker_ , which would have made the word cute. But with their scorn, it was an insult. The connotation was that they were pathetically weak. Now Starscream understood that when he had been called that by one of the murderous Predacons, it hadn't been his own creativity. He bristled at the mockery, but tried to keep his mind clear.

Even after Predaking's apology, all his memories of present and past did not give him a liking for the race. It seemed more and more that kind Predacons were a rarity. Perhaps, Airglow and Daybreak had been right. Was he wrong then? He thought Sunchaser had converted some Predacons to be nice, but maybe they had already been nice, and Sunchaser's collection of friends were merely the rarest kind of Predacons.

He gripped his head. Optimus wanted everyone to be accepting of their race, and here Starscream was so close to marking the race as hopeless. They insulted his team, growled at them, or ignored them, no matter how kind they tried to be.

Starscream had been sitting with Knockout when he heard about the biggest incident. Out of nowhere, Aceflight commlinked him, his loud chatter startling them both.

"Urgh, listen to this, Moon!" Aceflight complained. "Okay, to the point. You know how Soft Breeze really likes animals? He bought energon flakes and was trying to put piles outside the district's edge. You know, to push the wildlife out more and more until they're safe. So then like he was doing that, but this one Predacon saw him and got so mad. Came up and mouthed him off, so Soft Breeze shocked him. Then another Predacon saw it, and acted like Soft Breeze did something wrong! I mean, how the slag could they even protest him trying to protect animals? Then like, getting mad that he shocked one of them! The poor mech was getting approached by a hollering, raving Predacon! What did they expect to happen? Gentle finger-wagging?"

Starscream didn't know how to react to his rant immediately. He exchanged a glance with Knockout as Aceflight continued.

"They are so _unreasonable_! They don't care about the laws, and they get angrier if we uphold them! They treat us the same whether we are nice or not, so I'm starting to get it. We have to be strict, don't we? They walk all over us and call us like, slagging, little Seekers all the time!"

Starscream couldn't agree more, growing personally offended by how his team was being treated in his absence. However, something seemed dangerous in oppressing the Predacons. They would certainly not back down because the entire race was proud of their strength. Trying to restrain them felt like trying to put a pot's lid over a volcano.

He voiced agreement, especially since Aceflight clearly needed to vent. But Starscream went to the next point, "Do you have any news about the organization or White Dragon?"

"No, unfortunately. We're looking for the Predacons Air Raid told us to, but we can't find the Predacons who passed out those blood samples. Though Cloudtips saw White Dragon. She isn't easy to find. She stays inside like her hut… reading? No one's seen her do anything else yet, but I heard she's having a speech late tomorrow night. I'm gonna watch it."

"Do not go alone."

"Yeah, yeah. Air Raid commanded a five of us to go anyway. We're looking for the bad guys."

Starscream wanted to be there himself, but all he could do was urge Aceflight to be attentive. When the call ended, Knockout was immediately on him.

"I still don't get _why_ you wanted to work there." He rolled his eyes. "The extra pay can't be worth this."

"It isn't," he muttered. "But it is the most dangerous problem currently on Cybertron."

"You think so?"

"If we don't control it soon," Starscream uttered, "it undoubtedly will be."

* * *

Starscream strained to pass the time until White Dragon's speech. Aceflight promised to video chat him and use his phone to show him the entire event. He paced with impatience, not sure how to spend his hours.

A brief distraction came from a message. It was Shiloh, and the miner vehicon was coming back to Iacon for his regular sword-fighting classes. While Starscream was forbidden by Ratchet to exercise, he decided to at least sit and watch the class. It would be a good chance to catch up with him, and the veteran Autobot trainer was pleased at his appearance. He saw her first, and Firestar quickly asked him about his new position as reported by the news. She commented about how well he fought and led the other Seekers in the video, but soon after, Firestar had to start the class.

Shiloh entered late then, doing no more than wave at Starscream in passing. Then for once, he got a full viewing of Shiloh's skills. For the moment, he was distracted from his worries about Predacons. The tiny vehicon was impressively fierce, lunging and slashing with silver with incredible precision. He had never known how to fight in the War, but he had come so far, become so brave, that Starscream could not believe he was still afraid of Ratchet, Optimus, and the others. The vehicon would seriously have faced Megatron before Ratchet, still disturbed by how he had been hurt by him.

Eyebrows lifted, Starscream realized that the miner vehicon had become the best sword-fighter of Firestar's class. If the sword's weren't padded, he would have diced up all the bots that were twice or thrice his size.

On a break, Shiloh immediately walked over to him. Starscream was alone in the row of chairs, so he sat down beside him. Promptly, Starscream turned to ask him, "Have you considered entering one of the tournaments?"

"What? No, I haven't."

"But you _are_ an exceptional fighter."

The vehicon said, "I know that I am a good fighter, but I wouldn't be one there. Because I have a pressure that no one else has. I can't fight as myself, because if I fight, everyone will act like I represent all vehicons. So if I make a mistake, it isn't my own slip-up… Everyone watching will think it's because vehicons can't fight."

"But you don't seem to feel that pressure here."

"Well, I'm used to here. Firestar already yelled at everyone for making fun of me in the beginning. And in the streets, it's real. I have to fight," Shiloh said. "And it's always easier to fight if I'm protecting others, you know, the vehicons who don't know how to protect themselves."

On that note, Starscream asked, "Have Steve and Valor learned much at the academy?"

Starscream regretted not talking to them more, and while Steve insisted he was fine, he wondered if he was really taking their separation well.

"Yeah," Shiloh replied. "They got better at everything. Even Valor is learning to shoot straight...er. Oh, but for some reason no one can understand, Valor is an absolute terror with the electroshock bow. He picked it up for the first time and 'accidentally', according to him- shot a near bull's eye. Everyone else was laughing until Valor did it again, and again…then they shut up. And that thing is heavy, with those enormous steel arrows to load up."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Yeah, I'm proud too. He's finally showing up all those that laughed at him before."

Shiloh rejoined the class when it started. Once he had gotten deep in concentration, he would not notice that Starscream had started to record his fights. He tucked his cell away after without letting Shiloh know he had done this. When the class had finished, they walked out together and exchanged a few more words before departing. It was dark then, the early hours of the night, yet it was not yet time for White Dragon's speech.

He still had hours to wait. Starscream dragged himself to Optimus', though he was not there at the time. No matter; if Aceflight called him, he could have privacy. So Starscream watched the news, even those it only made him more pessimistic. There were Decepticon assaults on the streets, a bank robbery in Blaster City, and a vehicon had gone missing in Kaon, though that report was awfully short.

Worse still, there was a protest in a construction site at the edge of a new city. The workers were refusing to allow a group of Predacons to work with them in such proximity. A camera drone zoomed in on yelling Predacons, but their words were silenced, only their spiked faces moved and their clawed hands were shown clenching.

Starscream put his cheek into his hand, dragged down by the pressure of ending what seemed impossible to. How could fear of a potentially carnivorous race even be stopped? It was more logical, especially to Newsparks, to fear them than Decepticons. He thought that it might be easier to convince the population to forgive him, _Starscream_ , than to accept Predacons transforming in the streets.

The news tried to be positive, showing off the new buildings and job offers. Economy with the colony worlds was thriving, another planet joined the trade union, and a new space bridge had been developed. None of this would distract Starscream, nor the other Cybertronians watching, from ignoring the threats on the surface of their world. He watched and waited impatiently through the hours, tapping he berth he lay on. Had he not moved all his possessions to Vos, he would be fiddling with an old present at the moment.

At last, a bit after midnight, Aceflight rang him up. Starscream jumped, light with apprehension. Swiftly, he answered and clasped his cell between his hands, staring intently down at the video. For now, it was filled only by the silver and red-rimmed face of Aceflight.

"Hey, Moon. I just got here and some Predacons are gathering. The White Dragon isn't here yet though."

Aceflight turned his phone to the scene. The Seeker was sitting on a roof on the edge of a massive clearing, some sort of town square. Since the houses of Predacon Valley were two levels at most, Aceflight was so low that he was in clear sight and easily reachable. That made Starscream uneasy, especially since Predacons, about fifty so far, had already clustered around an empty stage.

About two-thirds of them were transformed into their bot-forms, which not only allowed them to speak, but also gave more room to the others. As Aceflight panned the camera, Starscream caught sight of Predaking lying at the edge by the houses. In his draconic form, his arms were crossed and his tail languidly curled and relaxed as he waited. He was the calmest of the collection. Predacons in beast and bipedal forms glared toward Aceflight, but also to the other roofs spotted by Cloudtips, Sunchaser, Redwing, and a pink Seeker- Airglow presumably, watched.

"Look over there," Aceflight whistled in surprise, turning the camera. He ignored the disapproving glances, zooming onto a length of the edge he hadn't yet shown Starscream. More Predacons were padded in, but among them, a couple of wheeled bots came in.

"Who are they?" Starscream asked.

He replied, "They're some teachers that work here. I met them already."

Starscream had not yet met the few non-Predacons who worked there besides them, and even with Aceflight's confirmation, he said, "Keep watch over them."

"Gotcha."

The Predacons lay or sat down, crowding in until the clearing was filled. The teachers pressed against houses, only getting lazy glances. Certain Predacons lay in front of them, but the way they positioned themselves seemed almost protective. Starscream's instinct was to think this was the organization, but the way the Predacons conducted themselves was like the Predacon friends of Sunchaser.

 _They like them._

"Another teacher over there," Aceflight reported. He turned, the scene spinning before the camera centered on a bipedal form sided by a stomping, two-legged Predacon. In an instant, Starscream recognized the red eyes set in a black face. There was no mistaking a vehicon, and especially not one that was silver. Even at the distance, a red dot of the ruby necklace was seen.

"Carnation!" Starscream yowled.

Aceflight jumped. "Wow, what? Who? Him?"

Starscream leapt off the berth as though it would do something. His order, desperate, came out as a bark. "You have to get him out of there!"

"The vehicon teach? Is he another one of your vehicon pals?"

"Yes. Now move him somewhere safe!"

Aceflight didn't answer, driving Starscream into a near rage from his desperation. Yet a second later, he heard a scrape of claws on metal as something landed behind Aceflight. The video whirled around with him, but Aceflight stopped focusing on where his phone pointed. Starscream was limited to the view of the legs of a bot-form Predacon as it strode across the roof.

"Get off the roof," the Predacon growled.

"Why?" Aceflight retorted. "Your house or something?"

"No, but it's someone's property. You don't have the right to be on it!"

The Seeker snapped, "Me being here isn't damaging it. And I'm only on it, not in it! No need to get so offended about it!"

"Scram, Seeker! We don't want you here!"

"Whether you like it or not, we're here to stay," Aceflight growled. "You can't stop us from watching. What's it to you? You one of those criminal Predacons? Part of that murdering organization!"

Starscream started, "Ace-"

"How dare you!" the Predacon snarled and stepped forward. "You come here, accuse us-"

There was a sound of transformation as Aceflight changed his arm into a null ray blaster. He fired rapid shots into the Predacon's knees. The legs Starscream saw stumbled forward, shaking uncontrollably. Suddenly, the Predacon toppled. Aceflight dove out of the way as the Predacon fell over the edge.

"Scrap!" Aceflight yelped.

The phone was dropped. The camera landed face-down on the roof, leaving Starscream with a screen of darkness. Though he saw nothing, Starscream heard a magnificent crash and a cacophony of gasps and screeches. The shocked Predacon had fallen off the roof, and directly into the crowd waiting for White Dragon.

Many Predacon questions of confusion arose. Most of them were among the lines of, " _What just happened? What?_ " Then there was a pause where they must have seen Aceflight overlooking the roof. Enraged insults flew forth.

"Pile of scrap!"

"That slagging Seeker, up there!"

The protest increased, bangs and scraping as Predacons milled about and transformed. Throaty growls and hissing filled the clearing as now one-hundred Predacons focused all their attention on the Seekers, chiefly Aceflight. The outraged screeching rose in volume, twisting in a chilling harmony. Starscream could barely hear Aceflight swearing through it all.

Everything was on the verge of chaos. Five Seekers against the collected might of the hundred Predacons, and somehow, Carnation had been caught into the mix of it. Something needed to be done before a fight broke out. Starscream had no idea what, no skeleton of a plan; he felt nothing but a passionate drive. Thus he forgot his own injuries, abandoning his phone to race out of the High Tower.

Fire was in his chest as he sprinted, but he needed to get into the public space. The old agony of his T-cog gripped him as he transformed, but he dared not waste seconds. Now, he could make the request since he was free from the Tower. Portals could be opened out here, so he flew aimlessly for the moment while yowling into a commlink connected to Vos.

"This is Lieutenant Moonwing. I need a groundbridge to the center of Predacon Valley, _now_!"

The command must have jolted the bot working the controls. A portal opened up just in front of him, and Starscream tore through it. Iacon disappeared as he soared into Predacon Valley. As a screeching shadow, his black underside blocked out the stars wherever he passed. Until he flipped and showed his flashing streaks of silver, he would remain a part of the night. Yet the night he had joined was turbulent with tension and danger, ringing with the wails of Predacons even outside of the square. News had spread, and Predacons on the street hurried in the right direction to squeeze in as close as they could to White Dragon's stage.

Starscream's shadow progressed through the chill of the air, cutting in front of the moons. None of the Predacons sprinting and flying low to the ground paid him particular attention even if they could hear him overtaking them on route. Like him, the Predacons focused only on their race to the square where came the savage storm of shrieks.

But they did not share his fear, and they were praying for nothing.

 _Let me not be too late!_


	23. Chapter 22: Strategies and Mysteries

It was pandemonium.

Aceflight and Cloudtips were on the ground, the friends back-to-back as Predacons stalked furious circles around them. Predaking stood with them, shrieking for order and pushing back those who came too close. On another patch of ground, Sunchaser and Redwing stood against a house while two Predacons acted as their shields against the others. Windstorm was flapping her wings defensively while another one of Sunchaser's friends remained a hissing barrier.

All Seekers bore blasters, indecisive about firing and bringing the whole clearing into battle. But as it was, the Seekers were blocked off from each other. Airglow flew panicked circles over the clearing, unsure of how to proceed. She joined Starscream's side once she saw him, crying out, "Lieutenant, the Air Commander's on his way, but we don't know what to do!"

Five Seekers appeared on the dark horizon. They waited for their arrival, and through the throng of shifting Predacons, Starscream saw the teachers hiding under the arms of other Predacons, though they were ignored with the attention being on the Seekers. Just before Air Raid entered the clearing, Starscream spotted Carnation. The vehicon was ducking into the hold of the Predacon who had escorted him here, and was being covered by steel wings.

Yet the very few Predacons who were trying to calm the fighting, to protect the others, could not make their voices or screeches heard. Air Raid tore up to Starscream, leading the reinforcements Barrel Roll, Comet, Twilight, and Sandstorm. That made ten Seekers against a number of Predacons now swelling over the hundred.

"This is turning ugly," Air Raid uttered. "We are going to need more reinforcements. A lot more."

But before anyone could agree or protest the idea, a white glow descended from the sky, crashing onto the stage. A hawk-like screech sliced through the commotion, bringing an instant, eerie silence. White Dragon folded her wings and transformed, and without the microphone, she boomed one word.

" _Stop_!"

It had more impact than all that Predaking had tried to do. They transformed, turning from the Seekers to creep back to the stage. Air Raid dipped down, beckoning them all to join him on one of the roofs. In the unsettling atmosphere, the Seekers landed. Sunchaser and Redwing, who were near, quickly seized the chance to rejoin them.

"What has happened here?" White Dragon demanded, staring across the Predacons with her brilliant green eyes. She pointed at a front row Predacon to speak. He did.

"The Seekers started it!" he cried. "They shot someone down."

"Who did?" she demanded.

The crowd all turned to Aceflight, some pointing claws. She peered over the mass and addressed him across the clearing.

"Why did you do this?"

Predaking shifted to the side. Standing in the open, Aceflight's wings flicked up in surprise. All eyes on him, he coughed out, "That Predacon came up to me, threatening me for coming to watch the speech!"

"I did not threaten you!" the Predacon in question snarled back.

"Quiet!" White Dragon cried before arguments could lash forth from the Predacon side. She took her time to turn on the microphone, and everyone waited for what she would say next. When she had the volume, her voice rang out beyond the square and into the near, crowded streets. "My brethren, what does it matter that the Seekers listen? Let them! Do you fear their judgement?"

They murmured denial or chittered out the equivalent. Very few of them, Predaking included, stayed silent.

"Exactly. It makes no difference on how you think and feel! And tonight, it is important that they hear me. Yes, for it is time to focus a discussion on the Seekers who control the Valley."

The group of Seekers gawked. Cloudtips and Aceflight flew in to join them, pressing into them nervously and thankful to be with the group now.

White Dragon held the microphone and paced the stage.

"My people. Trust is what we want, but it is not given. You are forged like anyone else, but not treated like any other Newsparks. You are separated immediately and placed into different schools, because you are suspects of crimes you have never committed. And none of you Predacons, so young, have even fought in the War!"

She briefly glanced at Predaking, but continued without pause, "You were neither Decepticon nor Autobot. How then, can Predacons be the enemy of the public? Why Predacons, when there are more obvious enemies? Why Predacons, when there are others who truly _deserve_ suspicion, to be mistrusted?"

The Predacons nodded along.

"The Seekers of the Valley are such untrustworthy bots!" she announced. "And all Seekers. Yes, indeed, and I can explain. Do you think it is coincidence that almost all Seekers joined the side of the evil Decepticons during the War? They say that the Predacon race should be mistrusted, but what can we say about their race with the proof that we have? Seekers are known to be self-centered, egotistical- they believe they are superior to everyone else. Yet they are our police, and given complete military power over more than the Cybertronian skies!"

Air Raid leapt to his feet. Shouting out over the crowd, he interrupted White Dragon. "That is scrap! The Seekers only defected to the Decepticons because they were following Starscream! Many cared not for the cause, and several took the risk to flee to the Autobots! And I, the Air Commander of the Valley, was an Aerialbot of Optimus! How dare you misinform these Predacons!"

"I can easily explain," White Dragon went on smoothly, unbothered by his words. "I can explain why we should question the authority of the Air Command, and that of you as well, _Air Commander_."

Air Raid quivered in ire. "You cannot," he uttered. "Seekers have served Cybertron honourably since the end of the War. We were the ones who saved the planet when Airachnid descended from the moon with her plague! We shot the Insecticons out of the sky and captured her. If the Air Command had not been swift to react, an uncontrollable virus would have spread across Cybertron!"

"Of course no one questions your skills," White Dragon said. "Naturally, you would protect yourselves."

Air Raid's eyes flared wide in how she had turned his passionate answer against him. But she went on, "Yet, the Seekers do not protect the interest of other races. No, you fliers are renowned for your selfishness… You band together against us. If anyone still doubts whether Seekers have proven themselves trustworthy after the War, well… I can convince you."

The large, white Predacon swung a claw directly at a single Seeker of the group.

"Let us see who Air Commander Air Raid has let into our Valley. Redwing, a former Decepticon until the War's end!"

The red Seeker went rigid. White Dragon then shifted her claw.

"And Sandstorm, a former space pirate!"

He too, jolted. He whispered, "H-how did she find that out about me?"

"These are the officers we trust?" White Dragon spread her arms, then she brought the microphone back to her face. "Despite their crimes, they have been forgiven. No one doubts them, but they doubt us? And for what, the actions of two sole, rogue Predacons? Would these Seekers not find it outrageous to be judged by the worst of all Seekers? If they were all branded as vile as the expired Starscream?"

At that, Starscream clenched up. However, more disturbing than his name being used, was how she was swaying the Predacons.

"And worst of all," White Dragon continued, "I almost forgot. The Sky Commander of these _officers_ , Jetfire, was indeed a Decepticon in the start of the War! And now, this bot has been given command over all Seekers, and he holds as much power as Ultra Magnus' Wrecker army and his Intergalactic Station! Jetfire has us in his grips, these Seekers holding us under our control-"

"Enough!" Air Raid snapped. "Jetfire was one of the most honourable Autobots in the War! Without his help, the Autobots might not have won key battles, and therefore we could have lost the War! And the Autobots are the ones who returned the Allspark and set up this planet of peace, trade, and opportunity! You shall not tarnish the Sky Commander's image with your sly rhetoric!"

" _Sly_ rhetoric? All that I say is truth. He _was_ a Decepticon, just like your Redwing was, and your Sandstorm a space pirate! Do you deny it?"

"All my Seekers have earned their right to be here," Air Raid growled, "no matter where they came from!"

Predaking pushed his way through the crowd, prowling in his beast-form until he reached the stage. There were gasps and murmurs as Predaking transformed and leapt onto the raised chunk of metal. In this form, he and White Dragon were nearly the same size. She glared, but allowed him to snatch the microphone from her.

He jumped to the point with no elegant opening. " _Decepticon_ is not synonymous with evil, just as _Predacon_ is not synonymous with murderer. What do labels matter in the new world? Have we not been striving to detach ourselves from criminals and prove ourselves to be individuals? We would be hypocrites if we denied the existence of individuality within Decepticons, space pirates, and any race or faction that is known of. Labels are only tools employed to create enemies!"

Everyone was hushed, interested in the concepts they had never heard before.

"We have prisons on Cybertron for a reason. Advanced technology allows us to see into the minds of anyone and read their emotions. Decepticons who show no regret for their actions, no willingness to change, are imprisoned. That is the difference between those you can trust and those you cannot. The divide is clear. If you do not understand this, then consider that I too was once a Decepticon, and behold!"

He spread his arms to the Valley.

"You have a home to call your own, because I suggested the idea to the High Council! And you have a leader of your own to let your voices be heard! Both Decepticons and Autobots have given you a place of safety and continuous funding for good houses and the finest, processed energon. If you distrust the Seekers, then you dare to distrust myself and those Autobots who defeated Megatron and gave you your peace, your lives!"

White Dragon stared at him, expression unreadable. The mass of Predacons relaxed, soaking up his words as they began to feel gratitude to what they had not before.

"There are many reasons for our unhappiness. Yes, as described before, we do crave trust and equality. But offending our police officers and harassing them will not drive us towards social and legal change. Tonight was a warning of how far our anger has gone. We must realize that if we act like beasts, the world will only see us and treat us as such. Do you not believe that we have become beings more civil and intelligent than our ancestors? I believe our intelligence is true, and that with it, we will achieve our goals!"

White Dragon bared her teeth, but said nothing. No words that the ancient Predacon said now would be backed by the listening Predacons.

Predaking's voice then bellowed into the streets, "So are you just mindless beasts, or can we not rise above our base instincts?"

A hearty yowling and cheer returned to him.

"We must collaborate _with_ the Seekers! With them, we have access to the highest powers of Cybertron. With kindness to them, we will be free!"

Chitters, screeches, and whoops echoed into the night. Predacons tipped back their heads, and with an applause of wing flapping, the Seekers sank into relief. They looked to each other, smiling hopefully. Then Sunchaser trotted to the front of the group, balancing on the edge of the rooftop.

He cupped his hands and shouted, "All hail Predaking!"

His cry stirred the Predacons into optimistic excitement. The crowd transformed and chanted his words.

"All hail Predaking! All hail Predaking!"

Redwing joined the call. "All hail Predaking!"

Sandstorm hollered it with him. Then, Twilight and Cloudtips joined him. Starscream was moved by the choice, thus he too, joined them.

"All hail Predaking!"

Predaking glanced in their direction, picking out Starscream after never noticing that he had been here. Had he not been so distracted, he would have sensed his proximity or seen him deep in the group of Seekers. He now saw that with his calling, the other Seekers consequently joined their lieutenant. Even Air Raid left his sphere of bitterness. Altogether, they repeated the words, and the Predacons below could now see and hear the ten Seekers participating in the praise.

Predaking was surprised that Starscream had returned, despite his injuries. Looking over the posture of his body, there seemed to be real relief and genuine support coming from him. He had heard about the fight about to break out, and true to his speech, Starscream had thrown himself into danger to try to protect others.

Even now, Starscream was not looking at Predaking. He chanted still, but his red eyes strayed to the ground to a silver vehicon. Automatically, Predaking connected the dots. This vehicon teacher was the one Starscream had mentioned as being crucial to his development as Moonwing. He was important to Starscream, and perhaps a reason why he had rushed into the city.

White Dragon bowed her head, transforming and stalking off. Her curled claws of irritation scored fresh marks in the ground as she left, tail swinging. No one paid her much attention as Predaking waved for the praise to end.

"Go now, my brethren, with the knowledge that kindness goes further than aggression. Speak to the Seekers of our problems, because they are here for us. Aid them, befriend them, for it is possible to do so."

He waved towards Sunchaser, who was still at the lead of the Seeker group. By then, Starscream had leapt down and was scurrying to where Carnation was. And after Predaking's own words faded, he too turned to other business. He looked to where White Dragon was prowling away, then hurried after her.

Now that there was peace, Starscream had left the other Seekers. He manifested in front of Carnation, surprising him into stepping back.

"What are you doing here?" Starscream gasped out. "Surely, you aren't a teacher here?"

It was too much to hope for the negative.

"Of course I am," Carnation replied soothingly. "This was the first place I ever worked. I worked here before transferring to Kalis, and I've just chosen to return after being given an offer."

"Why have I not heard of this before?"

"It never came up, but it would not have mattered to you as much then as it does right now."

Starscream gripped the vehicon's arms to signify his seriousness. "Now is not a good time to be in the Valley. Trust me on this."

He did not want to say too much in public. It was secret still that they knew of an organization that passed out blood and had possibly killed more than just Jag in the years after the War's end.

"Trust me instead," Carnation breathed. "The Valley needs kind teachers like me, like _them_ "- He pointed to the other group still close to certain Predacons- "in a time like this. We have an incredible impact on the Newsparks, and there are many Predacons who respect me. My past students will listen to me even in times when they refuse to listen to you. I realize that many Predacons will not be inspired by Predaking's words, or at least for long. At the next skirmish, I may be able to help you."

Starscream stared at the face of his former subordinate, but he gave no orders. He pleaded quietly, "You don't have to take this risk. We have other bots who can connect with the Predacons. I have faith in my Seeker, Sunchaser. Return to Kalis or another school. You will be safe there."

"No place is safe for a vehicon," Carnation replied. "But no place is as open to vehicons as this one. Moonwing, the Predacons and I understand each other in a way. We both are valued lesser than other Cybertronians. They will not hate me the same way they might hate you."

Starscream realized he was still holding onto him. His eyes fell with his arms.

"I can't protect you here. Not around the clock."

"You don't have to protect me."

Starscream muttered, "If you work here, it is my duty to."

"There is something you must know, and something you must tell the other Seekers. Your job isn't to protect workers like me from the Predacons. Your job is to protect the Predacons themselves. You serve them first."

The Predacon a step away from Carnation dipped his head, yellow eyes warm from his words.

"I think your team is waiting." Carnation looked up to the roof of Seekers. Starscream glanced back too and saw that half were watching him. He was standing below like a black stone against the slow current of departing Predacons.

Then, Carnation concluded, "I too, must go. I only wanted to experience a speech to understand the Predacons' pain, but dawn will soon be upon us. I must prepare my lessons."

He reached back and touched the Predacon's elbow. The lightness of his touch turned the Predacon, leading him to depart with Carnation across the nearly deserted clearing. Starscream's wings lowered to see him leaving in that calm stride of his, of which Starscream was helpless to stop. He could not convince him, and only force could possibly remove Carnation from his job. Yet the ache in his spark cared too much about the vehicon to go against his wish.

Starscream jetted back onto the roof and joined in their discussion. No Predacons were near enough to hear them now, and even Sunchaser's friends had left.

"What was that about, Moonwing?" Air Raid asked. The slowness of his speech revealed that he was still irritated about all that had happened.

"He is a friend of mine. I warned him of the danger still present here."

"I presume that you did not tell him the details?"

"Certainly not."

The Air Commander nodded in approval. He debriefed him, "Tonight is a victory, but the Predacons are so young that they can be easily persuaded by anyone. That being said, another convincing speech could swing them the other way. In a fight against the masses, we stand no chance, and we would have lost tonight if one had broken out."

 _Wait until we group together._ Starscream remembered the captured Predacon's words with a chill. He had never been able to get the message out of his mind.

 _And we will. That is why you should be afraid_.

And he hadn't been, until tonight. The Seekers could not have fought off even a portion of the enraged Predacons.

"It is important that the Predacons don't think too hard about that," Air Raid elaborated. "So we must seize the moment of cooperation. Our attempts of kindness were denied before, but we have the chance to reach more Predacons now. I saw a few Predacons joining our side against the others. We must recruit more while we can."

Sunchaser stepped up. "It isn't about recruitment. They stuck with their friends in the face of violence! We have to be genuinely kind, not dishonest! We must be open and befriend them."

Seekers looked to each other, preferring the other idea of acting kind than truly being it.

Starscream spoke up. "I agree with him. Insincerity will not win the same loyalty, nor will it satisfy the Predacons in the long run."

Sunchaser smiled when his lieutenant pledged support, gaining more attention from the others. Sunchaser went on, "Predacons are oppressed by boredom. They are forbidden to join clubs in other cities, and there is nothing for them to do in the Valley. That is why they turn so easily to fighting and hunting- it's out of boredom and bitterness. They are so fed up that they are seeking a chance to control something."

"How are you certain?" Twilight asked.

"They've told me themselves, passing on the words of other Predacons," Sunchaser replied. "I honestly think that if we play with them, and if they have fun with us, they'll accept us to be here-"

Air Raid grumbled, "Sunchaser. You are naive like a human child full of false hope. _Playing_ doesn't stop their craving for blood."

"We can't think of them like that!" the golden Seeker protested. He raised his hands and wings. "We can't judge them for what other Predacons have done. It isn't fair."

" _Fair_?" Air Raid growled. "It is plenty fair. Aren't you forgetting, Sunchaser, that there is a reason Predacons have claws and fangs? And a reason that the Predacons took such a liking to drinking those samples of bot blood? There are _mighty_ _clear_ differences between our races. All the Predacons, from Predaking to your friends, would find your energon delicious had it been splashed into their throats."

Sunchaser flinched, wounded, but the Air Commander was already stalking off to do other business. "Barrel Roll, Airglow. Help me check the camera recordings. I am certain that while White Dragon distracted the Seekers, someone got away with passing out more samples. Twilight, go back to the warp station."

Before taking off, he stopped and turned to Starscream. "Moonwing, you are still on leave due to your injury. You may return home and rest."

Then, he and those called left. But Starscream could not bring himself to depart even if he was meant to. Perhaps Sunchaser was too optimistic, but he had made valid points.

"The Predacons are bored," Starscream re-stated. "They work, then they return here with no activities available to them."

He approached the disheartened Seeker. Sunchaser looked up as Starscream added, "What do you suggest?"

Sunchaser's wings were still lowered, but he felt better from Starscream's gentle encouragement.

"I think chase and hiding games are fun," he murmured. "They're also good for our own training."

"I have seen you," Starscream nodded. "You know how to dodge multiple Predacons on the ground. Your agility and technique would benefit us."

Not only that, but Starscream was interested in learning the skill for himself.

"So you're saying…" Aceflight muttered. "You just let the Predacons hunt you for fun."

"It's not like that!" he gasped. "I chase them too. They chase each other- it's just a game and they know it. Everyone likes games like these, don't they?"

Comet had already been pushed by Sunchaser to play with his friends on the first day. Since then, he hadn't minded it. He spoke in his favor, "They don't act weird about it. It's just like those times we gang up on Moonwing and try to chase him down. We weren't hunting him, now were we?"

That earned a chuckle from some of them. Aceflight tittered, "Well, I guess then it was just me who wanted to eat him."

Cloudtips grabbed his neck and shook him gently. "Shut up, idiot."

But the jokes had eased the mood. Redwing and Sandstorm were more interested in their lieutenant than ever before, open to suggestions that Air Raid would never make.

Sunchaser said, "But we also need to talk to them, listen, and offer help. They get sad too, and we should be comforting instead of cold. Talking also gives us better ideas of what to change in the Valley."

"How do you even comfort a Predacon?" Aceflight puffed.

"Like with anyone else," Sunchaser glowered.

"He's terrible at that," Cloudtips laughed. "Ace only makes others angry."

"I just made you laugh, didn't I? That's not true."

Cloudtips elbowed him. "You dumped a Predacon into a crowd and almost killed us all."

Aceflight grumbled, "Still funny to say it now though, isn't it?"

"We should start now," Sunchaser carried on. "We could do things like make polls, going around and asking what's the best thing that can be done to improve the Valley. Maybe we could build something here! Let's ask them. And then I can have another group playing and training with some Predacons."

Then the Seeker swung a golden finger at Starscream. "And Moonwing, you can go sleep!"

He turned his head.

"You must be tired, right? And you're not supposed to do anything strenuous. Why not nap with a Predacon in the open? You don't have to do anything, but it would make a good impression!"

After seeing so many furious Predacons, Starscream was not comfortable with the idea of letting his guard down and being in the open.

Redwing pointed out for him, "That doesn't sound quite safe, sleeping in a clearing."

"Well then, we'll play nearby. And my friend will protect him anyway, if someone tries to bother him while he's sleeping." Sunchaser looked directly at Starscream with sparkling eyes. "You'll do it, won't you?"

"Very well," he conceded with a sigh. It was hard to have to rely on others, but he had done it before. And this was for a better cause, so if he could calm the Predacon threat in any way, then he was obligated to do it because of his vow.

"Windstorm's the best, right?" Sunchaser chirped. "I see if she's around!"

He dashed off the roof and flew to search. The other Seekers looked around, unsure of what to do. Though Starscream wasn't meant to be there, they looked at him for orders. He realized that no one seemed to be patrolling the outer edges of the city and the district. Starscream separated them for their duties, leaving Redwing and Cloudtips for whatever training they would be given. They were the heaviest of the bunch and would benefit from the agility games.

Sunchaser returned with Windstorm and two other Predacons many minutes later, voicing his relief that she wasn't off to work yet. Without wasting any time, Sunchaser led them all to another clearing with a fountain and other random Predacons lounging about. He organized Windstorm and Starscream, both of them blinking and a tad embarrassed to become pieces of attention. Though to see Starscream again brightened her mood, since she remembered lying with him months before. No words were said, but her chirrup conveyed a meaning that he understood.

"She's impressed and happy that you're our lieutenant now," Sunchaser interpreted.

"I can tell."

"Really?" he smiled. "You knew?"

Starscream nodded, then crept up to the Predacon as she lay down. Windstorm herself did not make him nervous, but all the eyes watching him did. He had to remain firm, stay confident, and be the first example of peace after Predaking's speech. She opened up one of her immense, grey wings and invited him to lay against her arm. He did, but even as the softness of the wing's material was draped over his legs, he could not find himself weary enough to rest. He tilted himself up, looking around at the confused faces, then towards Sunchaser as he explained the rules of a game.

The day warmed as they began the same obstacle game he had seen Sunchaser do before. The Seekers weren't terrible despite their size, but they were constantly caught since they didn't take the risks that the golden Seeker did. Sunchaser was better than before, grabbing the Predacons' limbs and sliding under them, slipping around grabs like he was an uncatchable, wavering band of light. A flash of yellow, and the Predacons couldn't keep up. Fluid like a dancer, he moved and laughed his way through them.

Windstorm had watched for a few minutes, but had long since laid her head down behind Starscream's back. Her wing bent and held Starscream tighter, but in a pleasantly secure way. He was surprised again that with this particular Predacon, he wasn't afraid. Though some of the passing Predacons, with their sharp eyes and dark chitters, struck pricks of fear into him as he remembered Skylynx and Darksteel. But her strength in holding him resembled Optimus', when he had carried him around back when Starscream had been so fragile. He hadn't imagined that Optimus would break him in half either, even if his grip was firm.

The higher the sun rose, the more comfortable he became. His eyes drooped, until he accidentally dozed off with the already silent Predacon. Starscream didn't realize he had slept for hours until he heard his fake name being called. The bulk of the Predacon's head lifted, and he dropped back onto her stalk-like arm. Starscream blinked and turned to see Air Raid's shadow cast over him from the descending afternoon sun.

"What are you doing, Lieutenant?" Air Raid muttered.

Starscream sat up, and Windstorm lifted her wing before tucking it in. She got up and shuffled away as he addressed his commanding officer. But there was no time to reply, since Air Raid didn't want one. He only wanted to show his disapproval before he continued.

"We found nothing on the tapes, but something's happened." He tried to sound neutral, but Starscream suddenly caught on to the hidden panic in his voice. "Come speak to me in private."

Starscream immediately got up and walked with Air Raid to a secluded alley. The three Seekers stared after them, but they had heard none of the urgency. They also knew better than to follow.

"What is it?" Starscream asked.

"Bad," Air Raid said. "But listen. What I tell you now, don't repeat it. We just had Predaking deliver a speech in our favor. If the news picks this up, we may never recover."

"Then I will remain silent."

"A Predacon's just been killed," Air Raid whispered.

"What?" His eyes flew wide.

Air Raid lifted his hand. "There's more. That's not what you need to be quiet about."

Starscream silenced himself.

"I hardly think the timing is a coincidence. Someone didn't like Predaking's success today, and they sent a Predacon to stir up drama. A Predacon went savage in the Badlands. It came out of nowhere just minutes ago and attacked some guards and Decepticon prisoners as they were doing their labour. It attacked indiscriminately, and… by the time reinforcements arrived, it looked like everyone had been killed. The count is inconclusive in the carnage… 10 so far."

Starscream felt frigid in the veins as he tried to sort out all the horrible news he had just heard. The first thing that he spluttered out was, "Wh-who were the prisoners?"

"Oh, yes…" Air Raid sighed. "I don't know them all. And they haven't confirmed the bodies yet, but Soundwave was among them. Another thing. If any prisoners are missing, and we'll know any minute now, that means they've escaped. Prepare for high alert."

 _Soundwave?_

And Starscream never expected it to hit him like it did.

"S-Soundwave?" he choked. "Do you think, he's actually…"

 _Dead?_

He had remembered him in the edges of so many memories. Imagining him vanished from them left a strange, hollow feeling inside him.

"No one's seen his parts yet," Air Raid murmured. He didn't catch onto Starscream's panic. "I don't think they could have missed them. And it's Soundwave, not some common foot soldier. I predict that he escaped in the chaos. I have a feeling Vos is going to have a fun time tracking that spymaster down soon."

Starscream dearly hoped that was the case. Perhaps he shouldn't be silently cheering for the escape of a Decepticon criminal, but he couldn't help himself. Surely, Optimus too would have preferred that Soundwave escaped instead of being mauled to death. There was nothing wrong with how he felt.

Air Raid continued, "But remember. Once the news hits, we skip the gory details and claim that the Predacon death was an accident."

"An _accident_?" Starscream tilted back. "So you are saying, the Predacon was killed on purpose?"

Air Raid sighed, "Slingshot says it was unlike anything he had ever seen before. A true monster, thrashing and charging everything living. They stepped into a scene too bloody to describe. Jetfire connected me to the commlink as he made the report. Slingshot was shaken, talking of how the creature… You understand. Air Commander Slingshot was scared. He admitted he should have called for capture, but in the face of that Predacon… he commanded his Seekers and the Wreckers there to kill it."

He put a hand, heavy with regret, onto Starscream's shoulder. "This is what we'll stick to: a Predacon tried to break loose the prisoners and was killed in the fight. We say no more. Nothing of the predation or call to kill it. Understand? The organization wants us to reveal it and panic the public. So we have to focus on the prisoners. If Soundwave escaped, fortunately _that_ will be more important to the news."

 _So we're all going to lie then,_ he thought. _Even to the media. Just to keep things calm for a moment on Cybertron._

Starscream agreed to it, but couldn't shake off his sorrow. Air Raid told him he would soon hear the rest of the report, but he was nervous to hear it. His thoughts focused solely on the topic as he walked back to where he had left. Starscream sorted through possibilities and wondered if the prisoner group was targeted because Soundwave had been in it. Perhaps he had been a target… Why didn't the Predacon just attack surface Cybertronians like those in the small villages? There was so much security on prisoners when they are taken out of their cells. He was certain they put up shields when they were at work, meaning that they would have to be disabled somehow, within the shields…

 _Which could be done easily by someone inside_ , he realized. _But… could a guard have intentionally destroyed the shield to let in the Predacon? Had a deal been struck? If so, how does Soundwave fit into this?_

 _Could that unnamed organization have actually been trying to free him? What use could they possibly have for Soundwave? There couldn't be any real gain in trying to kill him._

Starscream became more convinced then that Soundwave was alive.

 _Soundwave was loyal only to Megatron though. They are mistaken if they think he will help them corrupt Predacons…_

 _Right?_

* * *

The Seekers had stopped training and had left to fly around the perimeter. Windstorm was still around, so for the first time, he stayed with this Predacon without Sunchaser's presence. She was as calm as always, holding Starscream while she napped. He stared off at nothing, thinking about Soundwave even if it brought him an aching headache. Some memories flowed in, halting once Air Raid returned.

"Moonwing."

Starscream got up and followed him again.

"The problem got more complicated," Air Raid started. "They think the guard who organized the outing had something to do with this. He's missing. But this was an Autobot during the War, and we can't understand why he would allow this to happen."

"We have seen a shapeshifter before-"

Air Raid raised a hand. "I said the same, but no. They read his life signal at work. It _was_ an Autobot who did this. But he can't be found anywhere. The only thing is… The plan seems to be different. The Predacon was not called in to kill everyone. Not really. Two prisoners escaped without any of their blood found at the scene. Soundwave and Slipstream. The whole thing was organized to release them specifically, though no one knows why."

Starscream jumped.

"No need for concern," Air Raid replied to his reaction. "We caught their life signals on the move. We might yet catch them before they slip into deadzones."

 _Slipstream is free!_

He remembered all the times she had tried to kidnap him, and yet, he had never enjoyed the knowledge that she had been imprisoned. Slipstream would have never gotten out of there because of her stubborn refusal to regret her actions. Was that a tinge of excitement in his spark now? Starscream realized that it was. He was happier than anything else, but he blankened his face to hide it.

 _She will find me again, but this time things will be different. So much has changed._

"Another thing," Air Raid continued. "No one could identify that Predacon's CNA with any of the Predacons recorded in this Valley. So then, there seems to be _un_ registered Predacons on Cybertron. You understand what that means."

Starscream locked his eyes with him. "Someone is cloning Predacons."

He thought back to the scenes he had already unlocked in his mind. On Earth in a cave, he remembered tube-after-towering tube, all of them set in two lines and filled with yellow liquid. Within them, Predacons were suspended and limply curled. At the far end of the lab, by the energon cubes and the computer, a purple figure left his work to meet them. Now, with heavy footfalls, he strode toward Starscream and Megatron slowly, one red eyes burning on both of them.

"The very fact of it gives us a possible lead," Air Raid said. "It is inconclusive, but as far as we know, only Shockwave knows how to clone Predacons. Therefore, we believe that Shockwave might still be on Cybertron, and he might be the one who is directing the entire organization."


	24. Chapter 23: First Collaborations

Shockwave. If Shockwave was behind all this, what could he possibly want? Starscream was more confused than ever before, especially since he had known how Shockwave was. The couple of memories he had regained of him painted a clear picture.

Shockwave was not necessarily loyal to Megatron. He was a scientist with an unquenchable curiosity to create and discover, no matter what sort of suffering he brought to the bots he experimented on. The Decepticons had simply allowed him to do as he pleased, giving him the resources and the Autobot prisoners. He had created monstrous soldiers, or at least that much Starscream had learned in one of his classes. Predacons had been one project, but combiners and genetically mutated soldiers had been others. Very few intelligent experiments had ever escaped Shockwave during the War, and those that had, namely the Dinobots, described him only as a pure evil.

But it still did not come together in his mind. Did Shockwave want global domination? Did he want Decepticon rule because he was dissatisfied with the end of the War? Starscream recalled running away with Shockwave after Megatron had been temporarily killed. They had refused to give up, and Shockwave had indeed starting cloning Predacons. Now that Cybertron was gushing with energon, perhaps he had less limitations to conduct his projects than before.

Air Raid was still standing before Starscream. He muttered, "This could explain why we couldn't recognize or find the Predacons we saw passing out the energon samples. They must also be clones that snuck in here. Who knows how many unregistered Predacons they have at their disposal? We have to start remembering the citizens to spot the impostors right away."

Starscream heard him, but his mind was still caught up on the previous hypothesis. He asked, "If it is Shockwave, then what would he gain from releasing Soundwave and Slipstream specifically?"

"Shockwave would know how resourceful Soundwave is," Air Raid answered. "Who wouldn't want Soundwave working for them? Slipstream, well, she's an old lieutenant of Starscream. Maybe they want her for some aerial tactics? Who knows."

But his floundering to explain Slipstream's release made him suspicious. She was clever and skilled, but she also had the strongest connection to him.

His eyes widened.

 _Primus. Was she a part of the organization since the beginning? When she tried to shove me into those portals… was the organization waiting on the other side?_

For a moment, the idea overwhelmed him so much that he could not think straight.

"Excuse me," he whispered. "I… I need to sit down."

He did not care what Air Raid would think. He just wanted to hurry off somewhere he could sort out the horrifying truth.

Starscream found an abandoned alley and hid himself behind a scrap bin. Talking to himself often helped him, so he covered his face and tried to mute his words. He spotted no cameras, but mumbled in a way that only he could understand his own words since he thought them simultaneously.

"What did she tell me back then? She was sure that I was me, and when she found out that I did not have my memories… She said that they could remove my energy and restore them. Slipstream had a new body to disguise her, her life signal was cased, and she always had new portal guns. She revealed that they had the advanced technology… Then they must also have the technology to clone Predacons. So they must have access to Shockwave's labs, all his science to pull this off…"

Starscream rubbed his head.

" _Remove_ my energy? Who else could remove it, but the mastermind who created those Minicons? He understands their material, and knows what is left in me after they were forcefully ejected from my body. I am a fool for never thinking that they have Shockwave on their side."

He placed his hand over the other on his mouth again.

"But they tried to get me, and gave up when Slipstream was arrested. They need her to… convince me of something? She seemed passionate about the group she never named. I cannot recall… but I don't think she ever mentioned Decepticons. And if nothing came up in her interrogation, so she can't _know_ enough then. She might not know who she is really working for. And like with those Predacons that were interrogated, they must have offered her whatever she needed, and encouraged her to bring me back to… offer me something as well."

Then he became afraid again.

"The organization wants, or at least, they wanted me back then. But for what? They know who I am… They can track me, reveal my identity perhaps… Why haven't they come? Were they waiting for her? Or maybe they don't need me yet, and now with her release… they might come back for something?"

Starscream stood up. The organization had not made much effort to get him, giving up rather easily, so perhaps he was not so important. But, if they would come back, he had to tell Optimus and Jetfire before then.

* * *

It was easier to get in touch with Optimus, since he was not as busy as the Sky Commander. Starscream did not fly to Iacon, as he was still trying to heal, and instead paid to return immediately. After messaging him a warning, he met him upstairs in the High Tower.

Starscream explained everything about the idea that Shockwave was promoting chaos between the races, his cloning, and intentional release of Soundwave and Slipstream. He went on to tell him that Slipstream had always been connected to the group, and they had wanted him for a while ago.

"I don't know what they want or wanted from me," he told Optimus. "But I predict that Slipstream will find me soon. I should take this opportunity, should I not? I should follow her through the portal and pretend to be on their side. I can find out more information. If they think they can use me, then they must think I am as sinister as I used to be."

Optimus warned him, "This operation would be risky to you. They may capture you, and we will not know where you have gone or where to find you. If they realize that you are betraying them, they may also terminate you. There is another possibility that they will find a way to reveal your identity to the public, using you as a distraction. I cannot ask you to put yourself in this kind of danger."

"But we won't find out more about them, unless someone like me goes in," Starscream said. "This is a rare opportunity. They might believe I am as I was before. I doubt they will expect me to report back to you."

"They may have been observing you for long," Optimus told him. "They may have noted your interactions with others, and understand that you have changed."

"I have done enough suspicious things that they might believe I am acting," Starscream countered. "I've fought off criminals with the claws I've obtained. I rose through the ranks and took a position as a lieutenant. They might see it as Predaking did. It does look like I am fooling everyone in order to rise to the top of the Air Command."

"Have you proposed this plan to others?"

"After you, I'm going to talk with Jetfire. But I think he will agree."

Optimus replied, "I am certain that he will. Jetfire is eager to learn whatever he can to stop this threat. He will only see gain in this endeavor, even if it could be at your expense."

"I can do this," Starscream pressed. "I can trick them into trusting me. I still know the ways of deception, but for once I can use them for your- everyone's benefit. I could find out their goals, their leader, their location… everything that we desperately need to know. If they come."

"I understand that you will conduct this mission regardless of my opinion."

"That is true," Starscream admitted. "But I wanted to warn you before you believe I am up to something. I know this is going to require a lot of trust on everyone's part… But I am still on your side. I promise that I don't want anything to do with this revolting practice of turning Predacons into carnivorous weapons."

"I am thankful for the warning. And I have trust in your intentions."

Starscream sank in relief. He was quite warmed that Optimus was putting this much faith in him.

"Thank you," he murmured back.

* * *

Just after he had spoken to Optimus, a warning was issued to all Seekers. The news was already blazing from reports of the Decepticon escapees, but the Seekers were the first to hear the final update.

" _Soundwave and Slipstream have disappeared off all radars. Seekers of Vos and the following areas…_ "

Jetfire, who was commanding all of them, listed off which areas had to send out searchers. The Seekers of Predacon Valley were to stay where they were, but be attentive.

There were public screens around Iacon that always played the news whether it was urgent or dull. Starscream was walking around the city, waiting for Jetfire to accept his demand to see him. Bots were clustered around the televisions, halting their errands as they learned about the entire event. Starscream too, joined the back of one such crowds to watch.

From the lenses of camera drones, the public saw blurred energon and body parts on red-orange turf. Under the light and contrasted against the ground, the blood was stunningly bright. A massive lump of the blurred, grey Predacon was seen being lifted away on a slab by Tarn Wreckers. Everywhere, there were police guarding, investigating, and dominating the barred off area of death.

The crowd was struck into silence from the horror of it all. A live interview with Jetfire was the next scene to overtake the screen. He was pushing the modified story to the journalists, the same one Air Raid had told Starscream to upkeep. Slingshot was hardly mentioned. Instead, Jetfire explained that a Predacon and a guard had collaborated to release the two powerful Decepticons from prison.

"The Predacon was not a resident of the Predacon Valley," he stated clearly. "It is unrelated to the city and Predaking. He knows nothing of it. The Predacon is a clone employed by those who wanted to break loose the prisoners."

"Who created the clones?" the interviewer had asked.

"It is possible that Shockwave is responsible, but we are only hypothesizing."

"And how will the Air Command stop the cloning of Predacons?"

It was interesting how the topic stayed on Predacons. Jetfire tried to move away from it.

"You can be sure that the Air Command will stop the Decepticons who threaten this planet. Soundwave is incredibly intelligent and dangerous; he was the closest to Megatron and controlled much of the Decepticon forces and operations during the War. We urge citizens to look out for Soundwave and the dangerous former Seeker Slipstream. Additionally, for the missing guard Fizzle."

Someone kept the audio of the interview rolling, but had slapped reminder pictures of Soundwave, Slipstream, and Fizzle, as they had looked last, onto the screen. The guard with his Autobot symbol looked out of place among the mugshots of the Decepticons. Yet underneath them all was a red bar with the words _Wanted_ and the emergency number.

Jetfire said under the pictures' cover, "They and all remaining Decepticons are the leading cause of crime on Cybertron. We need all the help and information we can get from the populace."

It was a delicate matter. If the majority raged against the Predacons again, the Predacons would react with defensive anger. Then, their anger became someone else's weapon. The Sky Commander's words had to distract the public in just the right way.

And certainly, there were Predacons listening. When he could, Jetfire made sure to lie, "The death of the Predacon was accidental. The Air Command does not aim to kill in arrests or in the stopping of crimes. We deeply regret the result of the fight, and we propose non-violent and fair treatment to criminals regardless of faction or race."

So much truth was hidden in the news that it felt like corruption. This could not have been the society Optimus and Team Prime had wanted, yet there was so much that no one could have foreseen. Starscream's entire existence was a physical manifestation of the restricted journalism. They had created entire false news stories and articles just for him, worse than what was happening now. But how would the citizens react if they knew how they were being lied to? Starscream felt the secrets pushing to escape him, since he understood how easily he could shout and shatter everyone's ignorance.

Starscream peeled away from the back of the crowd, continuing his walk as he waited for Jetfire to be free. After an hour, he replied to his message, apprehensive since Starscream had vaguely stated that it was urgent.

Starscream was nervous for a different reason, wondering if he was being watched by the organization now. But he teleported to Vos and quickly put himself into a room with Jetfire. They were in privacy, though a desk separated them, since Jetfire did not seem to want Starscream to get too close to him.

Despite feeling disappointed by the coldness of his former friend, he understood that Jetfire knew more about how he had been during the War than he did himself. Starscream cut to the point and explained he had to Optimus, to Jetfire.

"So you want to be our double-agent, Starscream." His tone was chalky with suspicion.

"You trusted me with this mission," Starscream tried to remind him. "And I despise the group as much as you do. Even if I were as despicable as my past self, why would I support this? I want to stop this organization and save lives. I have to make up for my past actions. Please, have faith in me."

Jetfire sighed. "Starscream, I know I should understand that. Optimus even told me about how you've changed, and I've seen for myself how fiercely you protected your team. But it is hard for me to rely this heavily on you. Really. If you turned against us, using whatever technology or schemes they have… It would be a disaster."

"My ambitions of the past are gone," he stressed. "They couldn't offer me anything that would turn me against you."

"Nothing?" Jetfire looked at him sternly.

"I have lost interest in obtaining power," Starscream said. "I am not seeking to take your position or rule over anyone. I am happy with what I have. This may sound unbelievable, I understand, but I have found deeper satisfaction in having a plethora of friends."

"Hearing you say that you don't want to be Sky Commander really is startling."

Starscream looked down, but Jetfire's tone lightened when he spoke again.

"So your willing to throw your scrawny self into the face of danger?" he smirked. "Starscream, the cunning coward, now _wants_ to risk his life? I suppose no matter what your intentions, you still might get scrapped if the group doesn't want you. Maybe they'll use you as Predacon chow."

Starscream furrowed his eyebrows at his amused tone. But Jetfire sighed, "Hopefully, you will be okay. I guess I do trust you, since you are willing to give so much. You want to protect your friends, don't you? That is why you are trying so hard. Air Raid told me that you showed up at the near-fight despite your injury."

He looked up hopefully at Jetfire. "I will be loyal to you. You may clip a recorder to me, but do not take heed of my words."

"We shouldn't tack anything onto you. Their technology might be better than ours, and they might detect such things. Then, it would be all over. We will only have to believe your reports alone and whatever you record with your optics."

Starscream blinked. "So you will trust me with this?"

Jetfire smiled, "You're not really giving anyone a choice. You're going to do it anyway. So then, I guess I ought to thank you for the heads up. I look forward to whatever you uncover, if they come to you anyway."

"Thank you," Starscream repeated, now to him. "I know it requires much trust. But I will be honest to you."

"You really have changed, Starscream." He warmed up to him. "Now that I get to be with you, here, talking to you… You remind me of how it used to be. Do you remember? You used to think this hard about everything. You were so confident and focused. I see this within you again."

"I do not remember much before the War," Starscream said. "I only sensed that we were once close."

"Once, you used to be my best friend."

Starscream jolted. "You considered me as such?"

Jetfire nodded. "Before you grew more powerful and gained a gargantuan ego. We used to spend so much time together."

"I will try to remember," Starscream bowed his head.

Jetfire's expression softened. Starscream had struck something deep and long buried, and his words were greatly appreciated. He had not expected this moment, so Starscream coughed and looked around himself. "Perhaps I should go. I might be needed elsewhere."

"Be careful, Starscream."

He was still looking at him gently.

"I will be," Starscream murmured. He bowed his head. "Goodbye, Jetfire."

"Goodbye, Lieutenant."

* * *

And then, despite everything, nothing happened.

Starscream returned to the Valley that night after he had spoken to Optimus and Jetfire. The Seekers had been startled by the news of the prison break, but they felt distant from it all here in the Predacon district. On the screens around the city, Predacons had also gathered like the bipeds of Iacon time zones away. Apparently, they had all seen the dead Predacon, yet Jetfire's careful words had kept everyone from taking it personally. They had lost interest in the repeated reports, murmuring among themselves mostly about Soundwave. In school, they had heard about him, and they were nervous now.

"I did not believe that they feared any other race," Cloudtips had told Starscream after filling him in. "They take such pride in their strength. However, they know enough to fear Soundwave's abilities, even though he's a biped. They want to look for him too and get him back behind bars as soon as possible."

The cooperation speech of the early morning had made the Predacons want to be good citizens. All the Seekers were calm, satisfied, and it was perfect timing for Starscream to return. He took a long walk around the city, familiarizing himself with it until morning came. At the first brilliant beams of sunlight over the horizon, Sunchaser found him and excitedly passed him a tablet.

"Oh, Moon! I would love your help!" Grasping the tablet in one hand, Sunchaser swung his arms around Starscream. After pulling away from the hug, he then showed Starscream a list of survey questions he had made himself.

"We better do this now when everyone's so eager to help us," Sunchaser explained. "We have to prove that the best things happen when we're all on the same side!"

 _He has no idea_. _How horrified would he be, if he knew that Seekers purposefully killed a Predacon?_

"Let's get started." Starscream gave him an innocent smile.

Although he had just explored the city, Starscream walked through the streets once more with Sunchaser. With the other Seeker's help, they coaxed every Predacon they met into transforming. Some still did not seem to want to talk to them, but eventually, they liked the idea of giving their own opinion and complied. Starscream took charge of taking their names, and he showed them the list of buildings. They would chose the ones they would like to see built in their district, and Starscream noted the choices.

Predaking woke during the morning, and someone had enthusiastically reported what was happening. He went to find them out of curiosity, flying to Starscream's location and landing behind them. The sun had thrown his shadow other the Seekers however, and Starscream was well tuned to his wing flaps. Before he had fully touched down, Predaking's eyes widened as Starscream jumped then sprinted into an alley.

Sunchaser called out, dashing after him. He had done something to convince him, for soon after, Predaking saw them returning with Sunchaser leading Starscream out by the wrist. Predaking transformed and met them, but Starscream's kept his mouth shut as Sunchaser cheerfully explained their task.

"Show him the list!" Sunchaser nudged Starscream. Hesitantly, he turned the tablet toward Predaking, eyes still down from his recent startle.

Predaking peered over the list, but muttered, "We don't have enough funding for any of these."

"What? Why not?" Sunchaser stammered.

"I approve of the idea, but it is not possible at this time. Constructing new houses, electrical costs, and energon take up my entire budget. The rising population is difficult to keep up with."

Sunchaser looked distraught. Starscream glanced at him, then flicked his eyes to Predaking's expression, noticing that he seemed truly disappointed. Suddenly, he wanted to assure them, and he found the strength to speak clearly.

"The High Council cannot change the laws for Predacons yet, but I am sure they will provide the funding if you need it," Starscream said. "They want to help you, but they just haven't found a way yet. I can ask Bulkhead if he will fund a project and provide labour."

"You will ask him?" Predaking lifted his tone and looked pleased.

"I can speak to him personally."

Sunchaser latched onto him without warning. "Ooooo! You're the best, Moon! He'll listen to you, won't he?"

The yellow Seeker squeezed and shook him. Starscream blinked and glanced away, knowing that Predaking was still watching him. Now, he was flushed with such embarrassment for this, and for how he had instinctively panicked at Predaking's arrival.

* * *

Bulkhead was working the night Starscream returned to Iacon to rest. Regardless, he still wanted to collect more information before nailing a deal. The next day, Sunchaser was off work, but Starscream continued the survey on his own. He had left his tablet for Starscream to take and use, and now it was up to him to track down the Predacons that they had missed before.

There were Predacons who hadn't been around yesterday, at work or just out of town. Starscream attempted to find them on his own, but he only managed to address Predacons he had already surveyed the day before. But seeing Starscream going around again caught pleasant attention. Curious, some Predacons would trail him for a while before getting bored. Some clustered near him, putting their beaks and muzzles over him to look at the survey they had already completed.

In the end, Starscream gave up and asked for Predaking. A Seeker sent him his way, and this time Starscream kept himself from fleeing when the enormous Predacon landed beside him. Instead, Starscream asked him for an announcement to be made. Predaking took it into his hands, asking all Predacons who hadn't yet voted to find _Lieutenant Moonwing_ in the town square. There, Starscream waited on the stage until a rough line formed itself.

He quickly gathered the information, yet some Predacons stuck around after. Some transformed just to ask him if their choices were popular. Their politeness was a complete turnaround from how they had behaved in the recent skirmish in this very square. They were openly excited, happily inquiring about the progress of Starscream's work. Not once in the last two days, did any Predacon address him impolitely.

"How many votes for the theatre?"

"Who else wanted the sports arena?"

"Are we getting a spa?"

"Can we get more than one thing?"

The questions accompanied him everywhere, but their light happiness was comforting. Most importantly, the Predacons were taking a liking to their new Seeker lieutenant.

"I heard you're going to get us the funding?" a Predacon gasped. "You're so awesome! I can't wait."

Another inquired, "Moonwing, when are you going to announce the final result?"

Starscream waited in the square all day to catch any more returning Predacons. Then, at the day's end, Starscream had found that he had nearly asked every citizen. Though never once had he caught sight of White Dragon, despite visiting all houses the day before and today's announcements. Her constant disappearances were certainly suspicious, but Starscream was not eager to speak with her alone either.

He twitched, remembering that she would be the only Predacon of the Valley who had lived off eating other lifeforms. There was no knowing how many bipeds she had hunted in the past, in the time before anyone knew how to transform. Fliers like himself may have been killed by her ages ago, never learning how to flee her. He could only shiver to imagine what she thought, seeing fifteen different Seekers so close to her home.

"Does anyone know the location of White Dragon?" Starscream asked over everyone's commlinks.

Air Raid replied, "I've been keeping watch on her, so do not worry, Lieutenant. Whenever she leaves her house, we'll know it. And since we don't know right now, she will still be inside."

 _So she is here. She merely ignored us when Sunchaser and I came knocking at her door._

Again, not that he had ever been keen on having her answer his call, opening that door to look at him with her always narrowed and unreadable, green gaze.

He suddenly remembered Predaking, and that although he had talked to him a few times, he had never surveyed him. Starscream slowly walked the way back to Predaking's home, assuming he might be there. He knocked then quickly hopped back. Although Predaking had been quite accepting of his presence, part of him feared that Predaking was going to drag him back inside.

He heard Predaking approaching, and tried to concentrate. Yet he remembered again how terrifying it had been to be pinned by a single arm, and be powerless to move it in the slightest.

Predaking appeared in the open doorway.

"What is it?" he asked, but not shortly. He looked a bit curious to see him.

Starscream awkwardly showed him the tablet again. "I am taking the results back tonight. Would you… also fill this out?"

Predaking was taken off guard. He murmured compliance, and softly took the device off his hands.

While he wrote, Starscream stammered, "H-hopefully, I can speak to Bulkhead tonight... and come back with an answer tomorrow."

Predaking returned the tablet to Starscream. He quickly read over what Predaking had chosen, and could not help but smile when he realized he had finished his task. At last, it was done, and Predaking seemed to be looking at him with a certain pride in his efforts. But staying alone and talking to Predaking was all too uncomfortable, so Starscream made a satisfied comment and left as quickly as he had come.

Starscream took himself back to Iacon with Sunchaser's tablet carefully held in his arms. It was safely brought up into the High Tower, full of its precious information that had also been backed up to the Datanet. Immediately, Starscream went to Bulkhead's door and knocked. His turbofox yapped up a racket, then among it, Bulkhead's heavy footsteps were heard approaching the door.

"Coming!" he called. He opened the door, throwing up his shoulders in surprise at Starscream's appearance.

"Oh, er- hello," Bulkhead greeted him. His pet scooted around his feet and flew at Starscream's legs like a torpedo. He stumbled and nearly toppled before he could ask a single thing. As he adjusted himself, the turbofox was still swirling around him and yipping.

"Sorry 'bout that. She hasn't been taken out in a while, and you know how turbofoxes are."

"Perhaps we could walk her now. There is something of utmost importance that I need to discuss with you anyway, Bulkhead."

"Sure, just uh…" he blinked in continued confusion and curiosity. "Give me a moment..."

He scooped up Spring under one arm, then went inside to grab a leash to clip to her. Then, he set down the turbofox and exited his home. Moving down the hall with Starscream at his side, he began, "So what is it you wanted to talk about...?"

* * *

There had been no progress with the escaped Soundwave and Slipstream, and with the missing guard. But when Starscream returned to the Valley the next day, he still walked with a bounce in his step. Sunchaser's tablet was carried like a precious item as Air Raid led Starscream to the stage. The Seekers had been spreading the news that the lieutenant would announce the success or failure of the endeavor, and now Predacons were gathering just as they had for White Dragon. At Air Raid's request, Predacons had been ordered by Predaking to set up a projector to a large screen behind where Starscream would stand. Everyone quivered in anticipation when Starscream took the podium.

Air Commander Air Raid was at his side while a few Seekers watched from a roof. Some were absent, needing to watch the border, and Skylight, Daybreak, and Airglow had strategically been mixed into the faraway patrols. The most accepting and supportive Seekers at work that day, Sunchaser, Comet, and Charred Mist, were the ones chosen to watch over the massive collection of Predacons.

There was something within this crowd that had been absent in the last speech held in the square. For once in their lives, they were charged with cheerful energy. As Predaking decided to place himself at Starscream's other side, Predacons in beast-form and bot-form turned their heads to follow him. Some, pulsing with excitement, whooped at Predaking's arrival to the stage. Since Predaking had been making the announcements the day before, they believed the entire event was a collaboration between him and the lieutenant.

Starscream felt pressure to have Predaking watching him. Yet the pain in his chest was long gone, and he was nowhere near as scared as he had been before. Starscream carried on, plugging in the tablet and opening up the slideshow that he had prepared. Everyone's eyes lit up, from the eyes of the Predacons here to the eyes of those watching from the city's screens. All other activities had been stopped, and even the school's lessons had been paused so that the students could see the video of Starscream's speech.

A news reporter established himself on another roof; they had known he was coming after he used the warp station, yet the camera drone flying close to Starscream gave him more nerves. This would appear on the news worldwide, and citizens and criminals alike would see what he was doing.

But it had to be done, and now, it was time. Starscream spoke clearly into the microphone despite knowing full well what he sounded like. Many might have been thinking to themselves, _He sounds exactly like Starscream_ , yet everyone here fell into respectful silence. Their eyes too were focused on each slide that was turned throughout his speech, so engulfed were they.

"My name is Moonwing, Seeker Lieutenant of Predacon Valley." He curled the fingers of one hand around the podium. "Within two solar cycles, I participated in an information-gathering project in the city. The purpose of this was to decide the new infrastructures to be built in the Valley based on the most popular choice. Currently, Predacon Valley lacks entertainment centers of its own, and the happiness of the city's citizens would be improved with them.

"96% of the population was given these ten options and was asked to rate their top three. The end result is this: the first choice goes to the sports complex, the second to the theatre, and the third to a games center. The greatest concern was funding to build any of the choices; however, I have personally reached out to Cybertron's head of construction, High Council member Bulkhead. He has signed a deal to redirect workers and all construction workers of the Valley to commence building within two weeks. Funding will also be redirected here, plus enough funding from Optimus Prime and all the other High Council members to complete not just the first choice of the survey, but all three of them."

It had been impossible to keep quiet as Starscream kept speaking, but now, the Predacons exploded from elation. A cacophony of clapping and cheers drowned Starscream out for about half a minute before he could say anything else.

"Naturally, the blueprints have yet to be finalized. However, the city will be expanded to incorporate these massive, new projects. Once the plans and locations have been decided, they will be shown to you."

Once again, the jubilee kept Starscream from being able to speak for many long seconds.

"The buildings will be constructed in order of the preferences, providing you with facilities as soon as possible. The sports complex, with everyone's cooperation and determination, is estimated to be completed six weeks after construction begins."

At last, he showed off the signatures. It had been a form he had whipped up out of nothing, but everyone valued it more than Starscream had thought they would. He leaned back at the final applause, as though he had been knocked back slightly by it. There were photos being taken as Predaking took his place at the microphone and lay a hand down on Starscream's shoulder. His time there was short as he only voiced his approval of everything, yet the journalist's camera drone tried to take as many pictures of the two as possible. Starscream, who was so surprised, was unintentionally left staring at that hand on his shoulder plates.

When all had been said, the crowd cleared and the journalist came forward. Air Raid whispered to him to keep up the optimistic attitude, thus when the journalist met him, Starscream spoke like Jetfire. He dodged all questions about Predacon protests and crimes, stressing the good intentions that the Air Command only had. It felt like he was lying to his heart's content, but he still managed it without hesitation like a master of a craft.

 _At least I finally found a use for it_ , he consoled himself. He thought if Optimus was any good at lying, he would have done the same.

Predaking stuck around until the journalist had been scooted away by Air Raid. Starscream had not noticed him standing at a distance until he heard him coming near.

"I wanted to thank you for your efforts," Predaking rumbled, moving around him to face him. "This will be a great improvement to the lives of my people."

Doing this likely ruined all chances of the organization in believing him to be an ally. Despite his warnings to Optimus and Jetfire, it would look to anyone watching that he was clearly glued to one side. But Starscream replied, "It was what was necessary."

"Indeed. This was needed since long ago. Boredom and discrimination have unfortunately made the Predacons susceptible to corruption. But at last, they have something to be excited for, thanks to the Seekers and especially to you. My only regret is that this was not arranged sooner. Perhaps, the death of the bot in the mountains could have been prevented."

Starscream nodded slowly, but his expression darkened as the rush of the presentation and the joy of the citizens faded. Now, he descended back into heavy thought.

"These projects might yet prevent more death," Predaking added, seeing his grim expression. It did not assure Starscream, whose red eyes still gazed forward without focus.

"That is what we hoped, and it was the goal of the project..." Starscream murmured. "But, if they have Decepticons like Shockwave, Soundwave, and Slipstream, shapeshifters, and cloned Predacons on their side, the organization might not be so reliant on your people…"

 _And not so reliant on me..._

Starscream muttered, "We may be underestimating the power that they already have. It seems that we have won here, but I fear that they are the ones who choose the moments of peace."

"That may be. But, your actions may have given you the Valley on your side. If there is to be another battle or war on this planet, they are likely to fight with you."

Starscream sighed to himself. _But what if it does not come to an open battle? Of course Predaking is confident. He doesn't understand that the silence of plotting is much more dangerous. That things get done with the calm of words, some energon samples slipped in here and there… The enemy has not even had to show their faces yet, since we only get to fight their puppets._

"You can trust with certainty, that I will fight on the side of the Seekers," Predaking added, still looking down at Starscream's rigid position.

There were no cameras taking optimistic pictures of them now, yet Predaking put his hand down on his shoulder again.

Starscream flinched, but let the hand stay.


	25. Chapter 24: Little Creatures

Almost everything was peaceful, except for one reminder. A month had passed before someone had hacked into what should have been unhackable, breaking through prison shielding to unlock thirty prison cells in Kaon. In the ensuing rush to escape, prisoners were either killed or they successfully beat their way into the groundbridge portal that randomly appeared outside. It went without any doubt about who was responsible. Not many had the skills that were Soundwave's trademark, but what really nailed him as responsible was that Laserbeak had been freed.

The overpowering of the system struck the sparks of the Autobots with fear. Soundwave could only have done it with technology superior to theirs, with technology that could not currently be matched. There was no choice but to make all the cells lock manually and to increase guards. Since then, there had been no more escapees, but a clear worry spread across the planet that the military tried to hush down.

It was difficult to stay calm however, when Soundwave possibly had the means to take control over Cybertron's weapons of mass destruction.

The International Space Station of the Hydrax Plateau, though heavily shielded, suddenly found itself as a risk. Ultra Magnus, its leader, had had full confidence in its security until the prison cells had been hacked in Kaon. Then, it was realized that the plasma lasers and nuclear warheads might be turned from the sky to target the largest cities. Vos and Tarn, who also possessed these weapons in a lesser amount, faced the same threat.

Therefore, until further notice, the weapons were disarmed in such a way that only those on the inside could manually arm them again.

* * *

Two more months passed, and nothing happened. Everyone settled into a state of unease, particularly those in the military who knew the most. But life moved on, and Starscream tried to focus on what good he could do while he could. Every day, however, he expected that someone would eventually come for him.

Knockout cackled when Starscream explained the plan he had made with Jetfire and Optimus. From his seat beside him on the train, Starscream glowered, "What is so funny, Knockout?"

He couldn't help but be irritated, even if Knockout had paid for his ticket. As a flier, Starscream had never been interested in riding the Sky Rails, the scenic train ride that crossed over Cybertron and showed off its regions. He was used to being so high and seeing the same sights, but for wheeled bots and tourists, the train was a safe way to see Starscream's perspective.

They had been talking quietly enough that no one had heard them, but the nearest collections of Cybertronians, colony visitors, and suited-up alien life glanced Knockout's way at his quick burst of laughter.

"Quiet already," Starscream muttered.

"Ha, sorry. It's just that's so _you_ to think that you're so important. You think others are always thinking about you? Oh, you haven't changed at all then, _Screamer_."

"Shht!"

Knockout smirked, "It must kill you that the evil bots wanted Soundwave and your old lieutenant more than they wanted you. You thought Slipstream would come back? Her life isn't complete service to you, you know! If no one's cared to contact you by now, they won't be coming at all."

Starscream grumbled irritably and stared out the window.

"Come on now, how can you be offended?" Knockout put up a casual wave. "I thought you wanted everyone to think you're good? Now you want them to think you're evil so that you can sneak into their midst? Your inconsistencies are not going to do you much good. I say just commit to one side and fight off the opposition."

"Well, it's not like I have any other choice," Starscream uttered. "If I could have gotten in months ago, then we might have had a fighting chance. But all we have is nothing, no information at all at our disposal. How am I supposed to do anything?"

Starscream sighed. Knockout said, "It's not like anyone's expecting you to solve all the problems on your own. There you go again, thinking it's all about you. But listen, there's no point in putting all that pressure and stress on yourself."

"I _know_ I'm not going to stop it on my own," Starscream grumbled. "But… I hate feeling so helpless."

"How are you helpless when Cybertron's military's got your back? Stop worrying already about it. Look, are you going to enjoy the scenery or just glare at the glass?"

He saw Knockout's faint reflection grinning at him. When he made eye contact, Starscream couldn't help but huff in amusement. He flipped around and answered, "Am I wasting your shanix, Knockout?"

"I would say so, since you're not appreciating the sights I paid for!"

"Well I _tried_ to pay, even if this was a foolish idea. I told you how many times that I can just fly for free?"

"And yet you agreed to come," he chuckled back. "Now why is that, Screamy? Could it have been because you just wanted to spend time with me?"

As an embarrassed reaction, he pushed him back with a stiff arm and tried to double-back on the subject. "I still don't see why you placed me at in the window seat, Knockout! Shouldn't you wheel-bound self be enjoying the view?"

"Wheel- _bound_?"

"You _do_ realize that was a joke."

"I do, but I wouldn't be offended anyhow. This may shock you, but four-wheelers are _fine_ without flying. Nice, familiar roads, no magnificent drop of death from the sky… I mean there's crashing, then there's _your_ kind of crashing. I much prefer the safe and comfortable train ride with the drinks and snacks. And I can still see out the window perfectly fine, thank you very much."

"I suppose the train does have its quirks," Starscream smirked back.

"See? You can relax and let someone do the 'flying' for you. I don't know how even _you_ could complain about that."

"Fine, Knockout, you win. I _am_ enjoying this, so thank you for the ticket."

Knockout replied, "A monumental moment, being thanked by Screamer. Shall we drink to that?"

"If you call me that again, you will be the one who screams," he whispered. "And no. Not unless you want me to purge over your shiny, little feet."

" _Little_? Look who's talking, _heels_."

"That is your fault and you know it!"

"What can I say? Got to have something that I can always fall back on and insult. Can't have you feeling too high and mighty, though I guess with those stilettos, you'll always be high up."

Starscream rolled his eyes. He pat his hand on the air, as though measuring Knockout's height in the gesture.

"Anyone is high to you, Knockout."

* * *

The tension remained even after another month of peace. Starscream should have had every reason to be happy, except he knew that the organization was still out there, probably cloning a larger army of Predacons. It seemed without any doubt that they were waiting for something before making another move.

But during that time Starscream had gained a popularity among the Predacons of the Valley far greater than Air Raid's had ever been. The sports complex was incredibly beloved with its fields, tracks, indoor courts, pool, and skating rink. There were always events scheduled that Starscream was invited to watch. Predacons scheduled sport games, and already they had established their own leagues and teams. The theatre too had opened, allowing for times of rest with movies that were played. Some Predacons had even taken a liking to drama, and were arranging their own play to be shown.

During the entire construction projects, moral had been at its highest. Sunchaser brought in loudspeakers and despite the judgement of a few Seekers, he danced with the Predacons on break. Earth music was often booming near the construction sites, though the Predacons enjoyed it more than Starscream's teammates.

"Oi, that cloud-brain!" Daybreak threw her blue hands over her head. "He's at it again with that, what was it called?"

"Indie music," Twilight answered. "Popular on Earth though, and I kind of like it."

Starscream generally avoided the spontaneous dancing. Sunchaser knew he still took dance classes, thus he tried to drag Starscream in every time he was spotted. It was best to avoid the area altogether, feigning business elsewhere.

The Air Commander, if he spotted anything not related to training or work, would break it up. The reasons he gave revolved around Sunchaser's lack of awareness and dangerous position when surrounded by the Predacons. Yet nothing discouraged that jovial personality. On one particular day, Sunchaser had organized a yoga session outside the sports complex. He was trying to mimic something he had seen humans do, but he was playing Japanese instrumental music. Starscream had come to check on them, and he had followed the sound of the music to catch Sunchaser at the front of ten Predacons. And at some point, two of Starscream's Seekers had joined. Comet and Charred Mist might have been participating earlier, but had since fallen asleep to the music in a jumble of wings.

Starscream watched them for a minute, unsure how to interrupt without making a bad impression on himself. Then Air Raid dropped down with hardly any warning, shutting off the music and hollering. The smallest Seekers gasped awake, and Sunchaser froze at his aggression. Sensing that trouble was to come, the Predacons hurried off. Air Raid began berating the three fliers, before he rounded on Starscream.

"You were here first. Why didn't you stop them? Two Seekers on shift, asleep, when they're supposed to be watching the city's edge! As for Sunchaser, do you think he can just do what he likes? This is a job, not a vacation! If we get paid double, we must work harder than anyone else!"

Starscream saw the point, although the months had been so uneventful. It was just hard to be strict when everyone treated him so favourably. But his Seekers, who were more his than Air Raid's, had pushed it this time.

"I understand," Starscream answered.

"Good, because I need your help keeping track of everyone around here."

Starscream sighed and looked to the other three. "Switch with the district edge's patrol."

There should be no Predacons there. Sunchaser sighed, then the three departed to follow his command. Redwing, Sandstorm, and Soft Breeze came to the city edge long after Air Raid had left to scrutinize surveillance videos. Though months had passed without any speeches of White Dragon, he was searching for any instances of energon dealing, and he watched the ancient Predacon's progress whenever she stalked around the city.

It wasn't often that Starscream was alone with Soft Breeze, but usually all the grey Seeker ever did was talk about Cybertronian and alien animals. He continuously boasted that he had led all the animals away from Predacon Valley, leaving piles of flakes further and further away from the border. Starscream wasn't going to tell Air Raid that Soft Breeze had been sneaking out of the district, since he too was relieved that there were no more animals left to hunt, except for the passing, small, flying creatures.

No Predacon had any sort of pet in the city, which was a little concerning when Starscream thought too hard about what it could mean. He flinched at the thought of slaughtered pets, since all he had were the memories of how Bulkhead's turbofox. He could not imagine why anyone would even think of hurting such a creature.

Soft Breeze had not mentioned his animal-protection project today, and Starscream hadn't just thought these thoughts either. All of it only rose in importance in his mind when a russet Predacon broke out into the open behind them. They had been taking a sample of the fountain's energon for quality, until the Predacon headed toward them with something dangling from its mouth.

Starscream hadn't been the one to spot it. His back had been turned until he heard Redwing holler, "Hey! What is that?"

The Predacon hurled a dripping body into the fountain. The Predacons in the surrounding area jumped at the Redwing's yell, rising and turning just in time to see something splash into the fountain. Limbs sink under the surface, and the Predacons transformed to speak as they hurried forward.

"Whoa, hey!"

"What the slag was that?"

The Seekers bore their blasters and rushed closer. Once they could see into the fountain, Soft Breeze let out an awful, mournful wail. A canine creature lay at the bottom, scored with claw marks to let its blood leak out and camouflage with the rest of the energon. Its eyes were dark, but Starscream knew how they were meant to be full of life. Rusthounds were wild creatures that happily took to being pets, and he had seen so many chasing discs and balls in city parks. Seeing the canine's mutilated corpse sucked him into disgusted ire. Starscream snapped his glinting eyes back to the Predacon.

The reddish-brown Predacon stayed in its draconic form, standing defiantly before the Seekers and waiting for them to react. The other Predacons peeked into the fountain, gasping in horror, then recoiling.

Soft Breeze quivered in rage, barely able to keep his professionalism. "You are under arrest! Do not resist!"

Behind him, a Predacon hollered to his brethren, "What is wrong with you?"

"Why did you do that?" another boomed.

"Don't you know what the news will do with this?"

One of the Predacons here, Starscream recognized. It was a large and long Predacon with four wings that were decorated in a checkered pattern. He was nicknamed Checkers for this. He had just attended Sunchaser's yoga class, and he had been the last to speak.

The Predacon in question glowered and growled at their protest. Fed up, he transformed and roared, "There is nothing wrong with me! You all are just weak, influenced by bipedal culture!"

Redwing immediately called Air Raid, murmuring to him, "Sir, a Predacon's killed an animal and is protesting. We might need an assist for the arrest…"

The Predacon tossed out his bulky arms. "We were made this way, and there is no shame in it! Primus wants us to be who we are, and who are _they_ to stop us? Let the reporters come, let the world see! We are the superior race, the final and mightiest creation of Onyx Prime-"

Soft Breeze shot the Predacon in the face, forcing his monologue to end in a cry. And though Soft Breeze was usually gentle despite his size, he now let out a bloodcurdling snarl and charged. However, Checkers had already transformed to leap over the Seekers, and now he crashed into the aggressive Predacon in full fury. With rapid bites, he tore at the outer plates of the other Predacon, hissing and struggling to hold him in place for them.

Despite his intentions, however, Checkers' body and his wings flapping for balance completely blocked their shot. The Seekers split evenly and tried to tear around him, but then Checkers was thrown back by a powerful kick. A wing struck Soft Breeze off his feet as he ran, taking him and the Predacon to the nearest wall. The russet Predacon flipped and transformed when he had the chance, ready as the two other Predacons lunged at him. He spun to strike a spiked tail into one's face, before clamping his jaws around the muzzle of the other Predacon.

"They're fighting each other," Redwing breathed as he hurried to Starscream. Sandstorm arrived, and standing together, their eyes flashed as they tried to find a way to get into the brawl. But as Predacons skidded and massive wings and claws lashed in a tornado, they promptly had to run for cover. The passionate Predacons fell back, bloody and hurt from the lone Predacon's cruel attacks. They were trying to hold him down without maiming him, yet they could not match his aggression. Constantly swatting back, the russet Predacon let out a roar of challenge.

Starscream understood the meaning.

" _Weak_!" he had screeched. " _You are weak Predacons_!"

He scratched over a cut he had already made on Checkers' face. He chittered in a way that said, " _But see how strong I am_!"

Redwing growled, "That's it. I'm going in!"

Starscream took a moment to catch what he had said. Redwing broke off running before Starscream understood, and Sandstorm gasped in equal surprise. By then the burly Seeker was hurling himself into the fray as Starscream called, "No! Wait for backup, Redwing!"

Starscream and Sandstorm charged after him as Soft Breeze also broke into a run behind them. Redwing slipped and rolled under limbs and tails, then released a shot right to the russet Predacon's elbow joint. With a screech, the Predacon stumbled for a moment. Yet instead of collapsing, the Predacon lashed out the very arm that had been shocked. Redwing yelped in surprise when a set of claws came at him. He curved back his body, but Starscream had the angle to see how one of the longer claws snagged his gut.

Redwing stood still, trying not to move and hurt himself worse. But then, there was a glint of understanding in the eyes of the russet Predacon in the single second that passed. With an extra push, the Predacon embedded the claw deeper before yanking across and back. A burst of blue, then Redwing toppled over onto his back. Everyone had seen the intentional action, and now Predacons screeched in horror, stumbling back and loosening whatever holds they had had on the Predacon.

The beige Seeker Sandstorm saw Redwing drop. He had already been moving to help his fallen comrade, but then he saw the russet Predacon opening his wings to fly. The full wrath of bloodlust overcame him, and the gravel of his voice came out in full as he reverted back to an old, space pirate accent.

"Beast! I'll skin the pelt of ye for hurting mine mate!"

While the other Predacons had froze, the assailant flapped into the sky. Starscream dashed to Redwing, but the sky above him lit up with furious red as Sandstorm blasted for all that he was worth. Starscream fell to his knees and skidded to Redwing, but when Soft Breeze sprinted to him, Starscream barked, "Aid Sandstorm!"

Soft Breeze soared into the sky and joined the light show wrought with the Predacon's pained screams. Among the racket, there was soon the slashing of steel; Sandstorm had landed on the Predacon and was slicing him mercilessly with a dagger. Yet Starscream did not look up when Redwing lay before him, torn open and trying to cover his own wound.

Some tubes in his abdomen had been cleanly sliced in half, and now an immense amount of energon was gushing from him. Redwing moaned and twitched, and Starscream replaced his hands, snagging the tubes in his hands and clenching them securely together. He squeezed for all that he was worth, trying to keep more energon from escaping. Still, blue leaked out from between his fingers.

"A-h-h, Moonwing," Redwing groaned. "Help, please…"

Starscream popped open his cockpit and rushed, "I have to let go for a second. I'm going to call Ratchet."

One hand stayed pressed down, and he pushed down his arm as well with some hope that it would help cut off the bleeding. Starscream yanked out his phone and scrambled to call Ratchet from the contact he had given him. Once it was ringing, he dropped the phone and grabbed the tubes once again. Starscream shivered as he waited for a response. Predacons ringed them at a distance while elsewhere, something heavy crashed from the sky, but none of it mattered to Starscream as much as this.

"I-is it bad?" Redwing quaked under his hold. "Oh please t-tell me… I don't want to d-die…"

The rings kept coming. Ratchet was not going to answer. Starscream did not know if the others had already called for help, or if any Predacon had. But he had to be sure that someone would come for Redwing. Starscream switched to his commlink, shouting urgently for medical attention.

After he had ended the call, Starscream stared him in the eyes. "You aren't going to die."

"I-I don't want to…"

"Save your energy, help is coming."

Redwing's shaking calmed as he looked back at Starscream, and he obediently stayed quiet. More blood seeped over Starscream's fingers, but he repeated, "They will fix you, Redwing."

He closed his eyes and nodded once back to Starscream. Then, the sound of a portal cracked up behind him. It has only taken seconds after his call, but it had felt like hours until the paramedics had arrived into the Valley. Even with their arrival, Starscream refused to let go of the tubing, not wanting Redwing's energon to squirt out immediately. He looked over the paramedics, waiting for them to give him a command, to take his place at Redwing's cut.

One of them dropped beside Starscream and touched Redwing's neck. Desperate for an order, Starscream barked, "What should I do?"

The paramedics looked to another. Then, someone touched Starscream's wing to pull him away.

"What?" Starscream protested, refusing to leave. "But if I let go-"

"I'm sorry," the paramedic kneeling beside him murmured. "He's already offline."

"What?" His yelp choked. "No, he was just speaking to me-"

When they eased him away from Redwing, when Starscream finally let go, hardly anymore energon leaked from his tubes. Starscream stepped back into the enormous puddle of energon that stretched around Redwing. He felt its fresh heat on his heels, then he realized, that the warmth was already all over his legs, chest, and arms.

"No!" Starscream growled. "He was alive! Just moments ago, he-"

Starscream thrashed against the consoling arms and dropped back down to Redwing. But by the time he was kneeling again, he saw that Redwing's eyes had never really closed. They were still creaked open, the light of life absent in them.

Suddenly, he noticed a silence over the area that was interrupted only by rapidly approaching jets. Air Raid, with Airglow and Skylight, approached in the sky. Starscream turned his unfocused eyes to them as Airglow and Skylight broke off, moving to where the Predacon had landed. Air Raid's path stayed straight, and he landed onto the battleground.

"Move!" he boomed. Starscream stood up on feeble legs as paramedics were shoved out of his way. Air Raid had cleared a way in an instant, but then he stepped into the blood and saw Redwing's still form for himself.

In that instant, his voice lost its power.

"No, Redwing…" he whispered.

And then, the Autobot collapsed to pull the body of the former Decepticon into his arms.

"Redwing, why, Redwing…?"

Starscream's arms hung uselessly at his sides, energon slowly dripping off his fingertips. It was as though he had forgotten how to move as his throat and chest ached, increasingly aching more at the sight of Air Raid.

"Moonwing," Air Raid groaned, curled over the body. "What happened?"

Starscream murmured, "It all happened all suddenly. The… the Predacon came without reason, then everyone fought and got in our way… Redwing… R-Redwing, he charged on ahead…"

Air Raid jerked and shook.

"He was brave," he whispered. "Such a good Seeker… a true Autobot… Why did this have to happen to you, Redwing?"

Air Raid snapped his head around as he noticed all the Predacons that were watching. He set Redwing down and jumped to his feet.

" _Leave_!"

They shuffled back in surprise, their sorrowed eyes now widening. When they did not scatter immediately, Air Raid yelled, "This is your fault! All of you got in the way, and he is dead because of you!"

Checkers transformed and clutched his wounds. "We didn't mean to…" he whispered. "We're so sorry…"

Air Raid bristled and raised a blaster.

"You couldn't resist fighting," he gritted his teeth. "Of course. How typical of your kind. Now get out. I don't want to see any more of your beastly faces right now."

"Wait," a paramedic announced. "They are all injured. They must receive treatment."

"Then take them!" Air Raid snarled. "Enough about them! Get them out of my sight!"

Then his eyes fell from the open portal down to Redwing again.

"And… please… take him as well."

Air Raid stood with Starscream and watched the gang shuffle into the portal. When they lifted Redwing's body, Air Raid's hands clenched into fists beside Starscream.

"Things must change," he uttered. "This will never happen again."

Through his commlink, Airglow called Air Raid, nearly interrupting him, "Sir, they have the Predacon cuffed."

"On my way," he murmured. Air Raid then noticed and glared at the new Predacons padding into the area. Before anyone could get near, Air Raid growled, "Anyone who dares come near that energon is under arrest!"

Of course, he had not meant the fountain, but the stretch of Redwing's remaining blood. Thus, before he left, he ordered Airglow and Skylight back to guard the area. Then, he turned to Starscream, his tone heavy with grief.

"Moonwing, thank you for trying to help him. It… It must have been easier for him, to have you there with him…"

He placed his hand onto Starscream's lowered wing.

"You've done enough. Go… go clean yourself off. You may go home if you wish."

When Air Raid took off however, Starscream did not even know where he should go. There were public oil showers, yet he could not imagine going there to wash off the Seeker's blood. And the more he thought about what was on him and how it had gotten there, the harder it was to move. He stared into the shining puddle of energon, then crumbled silently.

Airglow jogged up to him and held his shoulder. "Lieutenant, it isn't your fault. No one could have prevented this."

He understood that much, yet the tragedy remained in all of its irreversible prominence. Starscream could only imagine what could have changed. If he hadn't switched the patrols, if he had more agile Seekers like Sunchaser with him. If he had grabbed Redwing before he ran in. If Starscream himself had cleared his mind enough to take control of the chaos, taking the lead…

But thinking could not change any of this.

Skylight lifted the dead rusthound from the fountain by one of its hind legs.

"Predacons are the spawn of Unicron," she uttered, primarily addressing the Predacons near enough to hear her. "They say the Primes were all slightly corrupted by Unicron when they fought him. And so, it is understood that Predacons are the dark creation of Onyx Prime that should never have emerged from the Well of Allsparks. This world would clearly be better without them."

And with the blood-smeared clearing and the dead hound hanging in her grasp, the Predacons were too stunned to say anything. Even if they thought _We would never do this_ , they could not find a way to say it in this situation that would sound believable. They crouched, tails lowered, and eyes hollow.

Starscream sat until someone would tell him where he could go now. When a group of Vos Seekers arrived, Skylight and Airglow rose to attention. A blur of things went on around him, and then, police officers and workers had come to clean up the area. Starscream managed to stand up on his own, but he stayed put until someone roused him by gently shaking a wing.

Jetfire had been told about what had happened, but the coating of blood splattered over Starscream was enough to tell the story.

"Come on," Jetfire murmured. "Let's go back to Vos."

Starscream wordlessly followed him.

* * *

"And it is a tragedy," White Dragon said. "I understand. The Seekers are our friends, and we mourn the death of Redwing."

It had been her first speech in months since the night skirmish. And she wasn't alone on the stage. Predaking stood beside her, his expression etched with lingering shock. She held the microphone, and although she herself did not look mournful, her words made the heads of the crowd lower.

It was the afternoon of the next day. Complete news hadn't been reported to all of Cybertron, but the rumors had spread, causing veins of fear to stretch over Cybertron. But the Seekers of the Valley were not afraid, only caught in melancholy. Traces of the event had already been thoroughly erased, the energon cleared away, the rusthound buried, and the fountain dumped and refreshed. Yet they all knew that Redwing was being prepared for his funeral at that very moment, and the first Valley Seekers took it the hardest.

No teachers were in the Valley that day; only Predacons were watching the speech with the group of Seekers on top of a roof. Air Raid was at the front, Aceflight and Cloudtips stood at one side, and at the back near Starscream, Sandstorm sat with Sunchaser holding him tight. The russet Predacon had apparently died from the wounds Sandstorm had inflicted, some stabs piercing into his brain. But that fact alone did not save him from mourning. Hearing White Dragon's words locked Sandstorm in such grief, that he burrowed into the smaller Sunchaser, whispering, "Redwing… My first friend on Cybertron… A good bot was he."

White Dragon paused to look at Predaking, then she continued, "But we agree, that it could have been prevented. We may welcome the Seekers here, but they should be no more than visitors. They are only fliers, and it is unfair to expect them to be our police force."

The Air Commander rose to his full height, eyes narrowing.

She said, "Without meaning to offend them, someone has to be the one to say that Seekers are not strong enough to be our police. We should be the ones protecting them, not the other way around. It takes many of them to fight one Predacon. Not only is that far too much effort and a waste of funding, but how can we put them into such danger? If they are our friends, we have to stop this. For their sakes. We need strong Predacons to be our own police. The Predacons who fought today, if they had had training, would have been more effective at arresting the criminal. They endured savage attacks, yet the poor Seeker was killed in one blow."

Aceflight did not know if he would get in trouble for yelling out, but he hissed among them, "How dare she judge us? Better than Seekers? We're the best of the best, and Sandstorm finished off that Predacon when he caught up to it, stabbing its beast face beyond recognition!"

The white Predacon continued, "The fliers should stay with their own race. They can serve them best, and they would be much safer there. There is simply a biological difference. Of course, we would not dream of hurting our friends. Times have changed, but we understand that Primus built us capable of dominating them. They were never made to compete with us, to fight us. They are quick and agile, but only to escape us. These are the natural roles we must accept. I'm sure that those of you who have played with the Seekers understand, but never wanted to say it and offend their friends."

Aceflight seethed during her words. "So that Predaking agrees with all this? Thinks we're too weak or something?"

Yet Predaking and the crowd were silent, never protesting to her analysis. Heads nodded, and eyes turned towards them with pity. That pity infuriated more than Air Raid and Aceflight. Even Sandstorm was distracted from his sorrow to stand and glare, and Starscream snapped his attention to Predaking. As he had predicted, he was staring back at him. Predaking was thinking of how frightened Starscream had been of him, and of how easily it had been to corner him. The fact that Predaking seemed to want to _save_ him from fear, to be kind to him, made Starscream hate him more than ever before.

If there was anything Starscream knew he hated thoroughly, it was being pitied.

"Without their shock blasters, they can't hurt us. If you went full out while playing, they could stand no chance of facing you. So I beg of you, be considerate and honourable. The new duty of Predacons should be to use our claws to protect the Seekers, among all the little creatures of Cybertron…"

Air Raid shouted, "And what say you to this, Predaking? What is the meaning of this speech? Are you implying that we should leave?"

Predaking ushered the other Predacon aside, taking her place. He looked across the clearing to the roof of Seekers, and he answered, "We appreciate everything that you have done. And we welcome any of you to return here, but, I must agree. It is best if Predacons serve their own kind as police officers, receiving the training for it."

"You think we are not capable!" Air Raid hollered. Starscream stood tall at his defiance, agreeing by placing his wings high and forward.

"You say that the Predacons prevented you from making the arrest," Predaking replied. "But, had you been more capable, nothing would have gotten in your way."

Even without the microphone, White Dragon called up, "It is hard to accept, I realize, but our races aren't built the same!"

Air Raid exploded, "Predacon! You think you are strong? You think _you_ are scary? All of you ignorant beasts were absent in the War! Not built the same? Ha! Do you think that ever stopped the Seekers from fighting genetically modified super soldiers? Hulking gladiators of the pits powered by the blood of Unicron? Towering combiners that could vaporize your city in a few blasts? We have seen more under the stars than you could ever imagine, Predacons! Out there, on distant planets, and here on home turf. You do not scare me. I have fought much worse monsters than you, but we called them Decepticons."

The Air Commander shouted over the heads of all the Predacons.

"We will not leave! We were soft from the peace, but things will change! We will be ready, and we will be stronger. None of you will ever underestimate the power of the Air Command ever again!"

Then pointing back to White Dragon, he growled, "And since when do you care about us? All you do is say what the people want you to say. You sulk by yourself, waiting for whatever opportunity to take power. Let no one, Predaking as well, be fooled by you!"

Starscream and most of the others shouted out in firm approval. Then, Air Raid hissed to his Seekers, "Come now. We're leaving."

Aceflight muttered, "If we leave, they're gonna keep talking scrap."

"I don't have the patience!" Air Raid snapped. "I have said all that I could, and if I can't convince them now, then I can't convince them with words alone. But it doesn't even matter if they agree. All of you, on your next day off, will go to Vos and receive the most powerful heat-seeking missiles available. No one will drive us away. We have a job to do, and we must defend our honour. We need better weapons instead of mere null ray blasters. I want you all to be able to injure or kill anyone who dares to threaten you. Cybertron is relying on us, and we cannot afford any more softness."

He shot a searing glare at Sunchaser.

"If you associate with those accursed Predacons again, I am sending you back to Vos."

His mouth opened then shut quickly.

"Moonwing," Air Raid said without pause, and without looking at him.

Starscream answered, "Yes?"

"If you can't uphold my commands, you will also be sent back to our capital."

He jolted slightly, but replied, "I… understand."

"Good."

Air Raid leapt off the roof, then he led the group nowhere particular, just to get away from it all. Starscream understood his attitude. He too had taken great offense, and he was also caught up in the tragedy of Redwing's death. When he had told Redwing that he was not going to die, Starscream had truly believed it. Now, it was as though he had been ripped away mercilessly, his absence becoming a throbbing wound in his spark. And the pain cried out for him to do something, but he could not understand what it was that he should do.

It was much easier just to follow. All the stress and possibilities were crushing him, and he felt lost in his emotions. Part of him wanted to take revenge, and another part just wanted to hide away in someone else's shadow. As hard as he might try to plan, he could never predict the enemy, thus what could he really do? Perhaps, Knockout had been right to say that he did not need this responsibility. If he could just pick a side and let the others take care of everything, the world would be simpler and consistent.

If only he could be truly helpless again and have no excuse. He longed for the days when Optimus and Smokescreen helped him with everything, holding him and reassuring him. Before any of his friends had died, when Starscream had not known how cold the nights truly were when inside, it was so warm.

He was far from wanting responsibility, and far from wanting to be the leader of anything at all. At last, he understood why he had returned to the Decepticons after his experience of going rogue. Why he had eventually lost his ambition to overthrow Megatron. In times of fear and helplessness, he would give anything for certainty. If he could not be strong, then Starscream needed someone to be what Megatron had eventually and once become for him.

* * *

 **Just to let you all know, I will keep working on concept art and I will post them on Deviantart (EmperorKumquat). Maybe this practice might actually make me better at drawing...? Anyway, a silhouette for White Dragon has been posted, and I am working on a Charred Mist concept currently. I will also write status updates on Deviantart about chapter progress and what I am colouring next.**

 **Don't forget to review here or comment on Deviantart and let me know your thoughts and predictions. They're always appreciated.**


	26. Chapter 25: Vehicon Melody

**Charred Mist is now on EmperorKumquat's (my) Deviantart.**

* * *

Jetfire held Starscream back from immediately returning to Predacon Valley. Exhausted, Starscream slept away a day, then woke with the stress of indecisiveness. His Air Commander would have just attended Redwing's funeral, returning to his job with a fiery vengeance sparked by his grief. They were all meant to arm themselves with new missiles as soon as possible, ready to frighten the Predacons into respecting them. If Starscream did not obey the new rule, he would be banished back to Vos. Yet obeying came with a whole other set of issues.

Air Raid's emotions would make him aggressive, and Starscream remembered following another aggressive leader who too overreacted from his emotions. The former Aerialbot would not hurt him, but he would hurt the Predacons with just the prompt of an irrational thought.

 _I… don't know if I can do it_. Starscream wanted someone to follow, but he knew that being violent to the Predacons would be a mistake. Discrimination was the cause of all this, and it was all that the Predacons complained about. So long as something oppressed them, they would be bitter and dangerous.

With a mind more cleared from rest, Starscream thought, _He is wrong. But what can I do about it? All the Seekers will be too upset over Redwing to realize that if we become aggressive, the Predacons will move closer to the organization. We have to free them of their problems, to take away the power the organization has right now altogether._

Only few would agree with him. Sunchaser, and perhaps most of his group of Seekers. Only those who had befriended Predacons and heard their woes would understand.

Starscream felt so sure he was right when he had much experience to look back to. The War had begun because of class discrimination, when the oppressed slaves like Megatron had been pushed past the breaking point. The bots that were bound were the most passionate and strong. That was why Autobot prisoners could escape no matter how many hands tried to hold them down. Starscream had injured Arcee, yet her rage had been overpowering. His maltreatment of Predaking, Skylynx, Darksteel had turned them against him, and he had even driven Knockout against him in the end.

They couldn't make the Predacons angrier than they had been before. They needed peace and fair treatment, and it wasn't just about stopping a threat. When he had begun his job, it had been more about that: protecting the rest of Cybertron. But in the months that passed, he had befriended so many Predacons. And thanks to his efforts, Starscream was popular with most of the citizens there. They loved him. If he followed Air Raid's violent commands, he would be betraying them. If he disobeyed, Starscream would be expelled, and he doubted he could do much as a regular Seeker officer.

He needed to keep his position, where he could still control the Seekers when Air Raid was absent, where journalists would interview him, where he had a chance of changing Air Raid's mind.

 _I have to try to sway him_ , Starscream thought. _He is a danger to others. If he can see, then he can become a leader that I can follow._

* * *

The new missiles were like those that had been on Starscream's arms in the later half of the war. These ones, however, were black and more powerful. Just how powerful they were, truly, Starscream learned it when he practiced with them in a firing room in Vos.

He was in the same building where he had once received his null rays with Cloudtips and Aceflight. Yet he would not be shocking the dummy this time. Starscream levelled his arm to the heavily armoured figure and fired. The missile exploded into the mannequin, piercing through the layers of metal and scattering singed pieces around the site. Smoke swirled and collected in an angry mass over the remains.

Once, Starscream had shot Predaking in the back with one of his missiles. That missile did not compare to the one he had just fired. With wide eyes, he looked at the massacred dummy and knew the missile could blast into the compact bot-form of Predacons, and with the thinner armour of their beast forms, their insides could be damaged.

The missiles were far too extreme. Yet Air Raid was more than proud to have all his Seekers equipped with them. In the Valley, he left the Predacons muttering and eyeing up the missiles warily, until this unrest turned into Predacon anger. The Seekers had too, developed their own hatred, and they fed off each other's emotions, raising the flames of rage higher. Then, it worsened from there.

Skylight had been recording all the happenings in the Valley on her blog, drenched in her own racist views, and reporters had picked up on her stories. The world was outraged from the Seeker death, but now, someone was providing "explanations". In just a few days, the media discussions turned religious. Once, no one had paid much attention to Skylight, but now her beliefs were sent across the world.

Predacon existence was a mistake, she would say, for certainly Primus would never have allowed such creatures to hunt the most advanced of the creations. They came from the small, corrupted part of Onyx Prime. Onyx Prime was beastly but honourable, so they were completely unlike him. Their ancient predecessors prevented society's advancements; they were only focused on hunting the moment they emerged into the world. Nothing good ever came from the race, and everyone would be better without them. It was aggravating just how many bots would agree with her.

Nothing Jetfire did could say would convince the public that Predacons had any sort of innocence. The thing was, Jetfire was hardly trying to do this anyway. Redwing's death had enraged him too, and he was trying to organize more Seekers into the Valley. All would be equipped with those deadly missiles, of course. It was like they were hoping to use them, to kill a Predacon. Starscream knew how everyone would rejoice if it happened, for the world was crying out for Air Raid's oppressive justice against the Predacon race.

It had only been a week. And on the last day of it, Air Raid brought in one of the testing dummies into Predacon Valley. Air Raid shot it publicly, letting its pieces strike onlookers and houses. There was no reason for having this presentation except for intimidation. Air Raid had kept Starscream near him for the demonstration, but Starscream was as shocked as the watching Predacons that he had really gone so far. This was blatant harassment, threatening the citizens, and Air Raid's disregard was clear when he did not bother to clean up the mess.

In a minute, Predaking stormed into the clearing up to the Air Commander. He ground some of the smoldering pieces underfoot and he growled, "What is the meaning of this? These weapons are clearly far too dangerous- why have you brought them here?"

"You complained that we were not strong enough to make arrests on our own," Air Raid uttered. "I had all my Seekers upgraded with _real_ weapons to change that."

"What officer employs such dangerous weapons to make arrests?" Predaking snapped. "These are weapons of war, meant to maim and kill!"

He whipped his gaze to Starscream. The missiles resembled what Starscream had once had, and they were also operated by flexed fingers. Predaking now hissed, "This was your suggestion, wasn't it?"

Air Raid muttered, "Don't be absurd. This was my command as the commander." He expanded his chest. "In fact, Moonwing opposed them. But I know what is needed to bring order to this Valley. You Predacons are too confident. Despite making up _far_ less than one percent of the population, the Predacon race causes most of the problems on Cybertron."

Predaking had been surprised to hear about Starscream, but now he ignored him at Air Raid's last comment.

"You and I both understand that there is more going on below the surface." His eyes narrowed. "Do not blame my race for Cybertron's problems."

"There is a reason the organization targets Predacons," Air Raid countered. "Your race is violent, the easiest to sway into crime."

Predaking curled his clawed fingers and snarled, "They are the unhappiest race, and that is why they are the easiest to sway! This would not be happening if my people were treated with respect by the Law!"

Starscream flicked his eyes from each speaker to the next, but he stayed quiet. The moment was tense, and Air Raid would surely punish him if he were not careful.

"And what respect do Predacons deserve?" Air Raid scoffed. "Ever since the start, your kind have been robbing bots on the street. Now you are only more confident, guzzling bot blood samples, killing animals, eating Newsparks… I don't see any other race on Cybertron doing anything as horrible as yours."

"All races commit robbery." He ground his teeth. "Animals are killed elsewhere by sadists. And it was _one_ Newspark, killed by radical Predacons that do not represent the majority. My people supported you when Redwing was attacked, did they not?"

"Do not speak to me of Redwing."

Starscream shifted his weight.

Predaking muttered, "The Predacons only react with aggression for some feeling of control over their lives."

Sunchaser had explained something like that before to Starscream. To him it made sense, but Air Raid's face twitched in irritation.

Predaking continued, "They take those samples to take revenge on you. It is not anything that we crave."

"And how would you know?" Air Raid uttered. "You have once told me that you don't know the taste of bot blood. Perhaps you would think differently if you did."

"Commander," Starscream interjected. The argument was much too personal, rapidly losing more of its logic. "I do not believe this is relevan-"

"Quiet, Moonwing." Then he turned to him. "Why are you still here? You are better off checking on the patrols. Do your job."

Starscream's mouth opened, but Air Raid fixed him with a warning glance. He awkwardly stepped back, hesitantly turning then taking off. He prayed that somewhere, he could be more useful without Air Raid there to stop him.

Predaking gazed after Starscream, then solidified a glare once again on Air Raid as their heated argument continued.

* * *

"Who are you trying to be?"

Starscream saw Shiloh more than even Knockout, due to the clubs they shared. He was easy to reach, living in Iacon, and his frankness was always appreciated. Ever since Shiloh had convinced Starscream to stay with Optimus and to not run away, he had always trusted the vehicon's ability to weigh consequences.

"I intend to be me, but better than my past self."

Shiloh tapped the handle of his sword. He was always doing that, always curling his hand lovingly around his new weapon. Even now, sitting in Shiloh's living room, he didn't detach the sword belt from his hip. Clutching the hilt suddenly, he replied, "I mean, what role are you shooting for? I never knew you when we were Decepticons. But I heard enough to know that you were inconsistent. Word reached us too, you know, in those mines. You wanted to be leader, then you ran away, then you came back to the Decepticons and did everything Megatron wanted. You talk now like you want to follow a bot like Air Raid, but you act like you want to lead."

"I know I am inconsistent, but..."

"You're scared," Shiloh realized. Starscream glanced away, not wanting to give verbal confirmation. "I understand. The world is relying on you to calm down the Predacons, and if you can't… And there has already been death. Animals, the Newspark, the Seeker Redwing. So your Seeker friends… you want them to be safe. You're worrying for them."

"They are so incredibly young," Starscream murmured. "The Newspark in the mountains who died was like them."

"His life was too short. He never got to truly live it," Shiloh agreed. "Your teammates are just like that."

His wings were already dropping, but now all four lowered as far as they could go.

The vehicon saw him, and said, "Why do you think other bots are more capable than you?"

Starscream furrowed his eyebrows at him. "I'm not going to be arrogant and say that others aren't better than me. Of course they are."

"How?"

"Well, Optimus is a _Prime_ , and he and the other Autobots have always been considerate of others. Decepticons like me killed, gloated, and tortured, but they strove for true peace, not 'peace through tyranny'. The Autobots did not make the mistakes that I did because they knew better. And Megatron was a leader that bots actually _wanted_ to follow. I could never gain that respect or match Megatron's ruthlessness and strength. I know that throughout my life, I have never been able to control anything, truly. I always ask myself now, _Can I really stop this?_ and _Does anything I do matter?_ "

Starscream sighed.

"I think that Bumblebee once told me that I was only ever good at failing. It hurts because I wonder if he was right. I made the mistakes the Autobots would never make, and I was never strong enough to get things done, to get others to support me…"

The vehicon watched, unblinkingly, letting him pour himself out.

"Oh, how pathetic I was! I thought I was the greatest, but I was really just a joke to others. I remember when Megatron was about to kill me, and he said he had only kept me alive for so long because I was _entertaining_. I remember that on the warship, I was the only one he ever struck. He must have enjoyed that for a while, until he said he got bored of me. He never punished any other bot in the crew like that. Just me. Not Soundwave, Knockout, Breakdown, Dreadwing, Airachnid, the vehicons... Megatron knew I was so pathetic that I would take it and continue my groveling the next day."

Shiloh said, "Starscream. You talk like that matters."

He snapped his head to him, his wide eyes flashing when they caught the light.

"Of course it matters," Starscream hissed. "That was who I was, and it seems to have some influence on how useless I am now."

"First off, you aren't any more useless than the rest of the police and military who haven't found a shred of information about the organization. Secondly, your past does not matter because so very few bots know that was you. Listen. No one _knows_ that. To most of the world, you are just Moonwing. And you know what Moonwing is to the world. You told Predaking about him so that he would accept you. But now you're so scared, you've forgotten and are doubting yourself."

He reached over the gap of the adjacent chairs, placing his three fingers over one wing.

"Don't demean yourself like this. Moonwing is supposed to be the most determined bot on Cybertron. He was crippled, but he pushed himself, trained himself, no matter how many bots laughed at him like he was a joke. But you aren't anyone's joke. You showed them how wrong they were. Moonwing, he became a Seeker and the best trainee out of them all. He was loved by his peers and clubmates, and he inspired them in ways he does not realize. He made others, who felt crippled in another way, try to push through their struggles."

Starscream looked away. It was too hard to accept these compliments.

"And they saw that Moonwing was a brave, intelligent hero. That was no coward who led his friends into that fight where not one of them was injured. Moonwing was a leader that they loved and trusted so much, that they went with him to Predacon Valley because they thought he would save Cybertron. Then, Moonwing brought great gifts to the Predacons, and they loved him too. Even if Predaking was wary at first, even if Moonwing was injured, nothing was going to stop him."

Starscream trembled and bent over himself.

"And Moonwing is the only Starscream that I ever got to know," Shiloh said. "He is all that Valor knows, and so many other vehicons. We think you are more considerate than any Autobot who killed us without regret. We would gladly follow you before we would follow Megatron again. And if Megatron even knew how strong you were now, he would be blown away. I cannot believe that you started to second-guess yourself after everything."

His spark hurt incredibly to hear all this, but it was a grateful pain. Shiloh had said so much good about him and that he was a leader and an inspiration. It felt like he had finally grasped something that had long been out of reach.

"Steve would hug you right now," Shiloh commented. "If he knew how sad and scared you were. But I guess that's why you only tell me about your feelings, to not sadden him."

Starscream nodded slowly.

"Raise your wings already; don't worry anymore. I know I can be pessimistic, so take it seriously when I say that I really do think you can save Cybertron. You are clever- you've always found your way. And now, you have everyone's support."

Shiloh wasn't hardly ever playful, but he feigned effort in trying to lift his wings back up. Starscream could not help but smile, murmuring, "I can't help it, after everything you just said. But I'm not scared anymore, so don't _you_ worry. I will be my own master. I will find a way without relying on anyone else."

"There we go, _Moonwing_. Now look. I really want you to understand so that you never doubt yourself again. I can ask Steve to meet us at the club. It is open now, and Valor and Mint will be playing. It must be fine to go there now, surely? I think it is important for you to see how much they admire you."

"They all watched those videos, didn't they?" Starscream smirked.

"Of course. And hey, remember. You made those videos with Valor to make fun of yourself. You just lamented over your past, but haven't you already realized that you have become something much better? You surpassed yourself to the point that you can look back at yourself and point out everything that was wrong."

Starscream nodded, smiled slightly. He also felt an enthusiastic flicker of excitement to go see the club he had gone so long without visiting.

"Then take me there, so I can be sure to never forget any of this again."

* * *

They appeared in the tunnel that Starscream had once trod in long ago. He could hear the music weaving into the halls, lovely with smooth instrumentals and a harmonic voice. Once, the sounds had made him curious. Now, to hear the sounds filled his spark with warmth as he recognized his friends.

When they met the guards at the door, the two vehicons gasped in delight.

"Moonwing!" one purred. "It is an honour to have you."

"We're glad you're visiting," the other nodded. "I hope you enjoy coming here, and that you'll come again."

They let the two enter the room of music and colours. A rainbow of lights spotted the darkness, and all the artificially-coloured energon glowed by the tables, couches, and chairs. Steve had been standing by the double-doors, waiting. When he saw Starscream with his wings lowered just slightly, he noticed. He hurried close, raising his hands and asking, "What's wrong?"

He hadn't asked why he had wanted to come to the club, for he was only caught up in Starscream as he was. Though seeing Steve now and being at the club filled Starscream with relaxing nostalgia. It felt like home, even if he had only been here once. Everyone who noticed him gazed and waved in a welcoming manner.

"I missed you," Starscream said.

"You did?"

"Of course I did."

Steve was yanked by his emotions, and he dragged Starscream into a hug. He did not doubt now that Starscream would detest it. Starscream hugged the vehicon back, tightening his hold the more he felt the length of their distance apart. Their lives had become much too busy, and Starscream regretted not trying harder to see the vehicon.

"I think about you every day, and I get so worried…" The cloth on Steve's wrist tickled his lower wing. "I am afraid that you will get hurt, or die like the other Seeker…"

Shiloh said, "It's true. I never hear the end of his worrying."

"I won't die, Steve. I've survived through much worse. An entire war, in fact," Starscream murmured. "I know how to keep myself safe, don't I?"

"Don't be arrogant," Steve mumbled.

"I won't be. I'm not like that anymore."

He let go of Steve, but the vehicon clung for a second longer before releasing him.

"Come on." Shiloh pushed on. "There are so many vehicons who want to meet you."

Already, some groups had drifted back to be near him. But first, Shiloh got distracted and pointed to the stage. "Look, they've spotted you."

Valor's head was turned as he and Mint peered into the shadows to see Starscream. Both he and his companion jolted at the sight of him here. They did not interrupt their song, however, and kept going. They were deep into something complex and fast, yet as smooth as ever. Or rather, smoother. They had been practicing for so long that they sounded even more professional.

On top of this, Starscream saw that there was a third member of their group. Playing at something that resembled Earth drums, a bot that was not a vehicon sat on a stool. Looking around, Starscream realized that a handful of non-vehicons were here.

"Who are they?" he asked Shiloh.

Steve was the one who answered, "Ever since you left the academy, the other students grew to like us more and more. They love Shiloh's dancing, Valor's singing…"

"Valor's bow skills too," Shiloh said. "But don't forget yourself, Steve. You became such a racer on the track."

"I didn't realize you were so popular." Starscream felt lifted with hope. "So these bots are your friends now."

"They find vehicons interesting now," Shiloh said. "They befriended more than just us. Now, they join us on club nights, and you see that one of them joined Valor and Mint's band."

Starscream's eyes were bright as he looked back at the stage.

Steve added, "You helped this happen. I followed you into the academy, and Valor did too. And there, you encouraged others to respect us."

"They've started to get that we have sparks too," Shiloh said, then waved for them to follow him as he approached a group of vehicons. He asked them, "Have you seen Jake around?"

They pointed the way to a couch. A jet vehicon painted blue looked up when they strolled near, jumping to his feet in excitement at Starscream's presence. Starscream blinked in surprise, shaking Jake's hand as Shiloh explained, "He joined a training academy in Tyrest because of you. He wants to be the first official vehicon Seeker."

Jake gushed out his joy to meet him, explaining how he knew all his stories and struggles, and greatly appreciated his kindness to vehicons. It was everything that Shiloh had said about how others saw him, saw _Moonwing_. Steve and Starscream walked behind Shiloh as he directed them to other coloured vehicons.

"They all want to be brave like you." Shiloh touched his sword again. "Even if other bots laugh at them in the beginning."

Sten had started training as a nurse. Blossom had become a teacher. Pierre was working on his own novel, and Feather was testing out a style of coloured oil painting. The stories did not end there. Starscream was led around, amazed to hear their chosen names and the lives they had begun because of him. He had had no idea that this had been happening behind his back.

They had all been crew members on the Decepticon warship, all identical to their type. They were coloured now, or had tattoos or wore jewelry, to individualize themselves. Starscream had no idea how many times Hazel, Vera, or any of the others had passed him in the hall. Which vehicon had he once slapped? Had it been Robin, the photographer? Or had that vehicon died, forgotten and nameless so long ago?

Starscream flopped back into the couch with Shiloh and Steve, shocked by the inspiration passed back into his own spark. This place felt so warm and happy. There were so many dreams in the functioning community, who were forgetting all about their Decepticon past.

"You're smiling again," Steve murmured beside him. "I am happy. You must not have been relaxed ever since…"

They watched Valor and Mint perform with their new drummer. Eventually, Starscream felt that the colours were blurring slightly. He was growing tired, exhausted from the ups and downs. Then, Valor gripped his microphone, and his announcement startled him awake.

"This will be the last song before we go," he told the audience. "We wrote it at Rowan's request, and we dedicate it to his friend and the other missing ones."

Starscream sat up and asked quietly, "Missing ones?"

"The missing vehicons in the south," Shiloh murmured back.

"What do you mean?" Starscream remembered seeing only one or two news reports about missing vehicons. "How many vehicons are missing?"

Mint began to pull his bow, drawing out a slow tune that dipped into something deeper. Vehicon heads bowed, and a few reached for the wrists of those closest to them.

"Fifteen," Shiloh murmured.

" _Fifteen_? Why haven't I heard of this?"

Valor entered the song, his voice gentle, but the depth matched the notes. The silk of his words was comforting, but it was the kind of comfort that came after a tragedy. The vehicons pressed closer to each other, sharing a sorrow that Starscream had never realized existed within them.

"Don't blame yourself," Shiloh uttered. "It's not like the media's noticed. And you've been so busy with the Predacons. Since it all happened in the south, it wouldn't be your work."

" _Fifteen_ vehicons have gone missing, and no one has found it suspicious?" Starscream whispered sharply. "Those fools- there must be a reason!"

"They seem to think the vehicons are just turning Decepticon again and hiding. But we know better. Those vehicons were determined to be good. You see that vehicon there?" Shiloh pointed at a red jet vehicon. "That's Rowan. His friend from Kaon vanished ten solar cycles ago. He _knows_ that someone took him. His friend never would have left, especially without telling him where he went."

The music stayed soft, with the drummer unmoving in the back, sitting with his head dipped.

"We… believe that someone is targeting them in a hate crime. And we think they are dead. Vehicons have been missing for months, never to return."

 _Dead?_ Starscream looked around himself, realizing the grief plain in the clustered, bowed vehicons. Jet vehicons like Rowan had lowered their wings, and some vehicons held their hands over their chests at the words of Valor.

"As soon as I can, I will go directly to Jetfire," Starscream vowed. "I will make sure he knows this too among everything else."

Then, Starscream fell quiet. He listened closely as the short song came to a close.

" _Beginnings are open plains of possibility, and we find ourselves lost,_

 _Wanting to cower in their mysteries,_

 _Where will we go? Hand-in-hand,_

 _Into a future dream._

 _Will we stay together, we do not know,_

 _Which hand disappears on the journey._

 _We only know that there will be a new beginning,_

 _Another chance to be together,_

 _For love is strong enough to last into the next life._ "

There was no applause after the music faded into silence. The shadows of the club seemed to thicken and cover the twitching bodies. Starscream turned his head back to Shiloh.

"What did he mean?" he murmured.

"There is a religion among the vehicons," he whispered by his head. "But I don't believe it myself."

"Why haven't I heard of this before?"

"The believers find it embarrassing to admit, and like I said, I'm not a part of that religion. It started in the War, when everyone wanted to feel like they were something special. They think that before they were vehicons, they were forged as other bots. They believe in reincarnation, and that Primus gives you the sense of your past life so that you can find your loved ones. They think the frequency of the spark will be about the same or identical.

Shiloh gestured towards the vehicons still holding each other's arms.

"They hold each other's wrists to try to feel the pulsing of each other's sparks. They want to remember the frequency, in case it will help them find each other in the 'next life.'"

Starscream had never heard anything like that before.

"Sparks merge with the Allspark, don't they? And new sparks are made," he whispered back, not wanting other vehicons to overhear him and be offended.

"I know, but they think some or all of the new sparks are old ones. Or that you can choose to come back. The religion isn't really set in stone, and is only developing more now."

"What makes them believe in it?"

Steve shifted closer, answering for Shiloh, "Because Optimus came back. Megatron came back… It looks like sparks can be drawn out from the Allspark. I don't think they merge and disappear."

"He's a believer," Shiloh murmured. Then, looking to Steve, he asked, "Why don't you just tell him now, since he knows that?"

Starscream glanced at Steve, who looked away in embarrassment.

"Tell me what?"

Steve didn't answer, but Shiloh didn't want to do it for him. They waited a moment, until Steve whispered, "Remember… when I told you that I never knew why I started to care about you? You asked me why, and I said… I couldn't explain it like I couldn't explain why we have favourite colours."

Starscream blinked.

"I… I think sometimes… that maybe… I knew you in a past life." Steve covered his face. "I hope you don't think that I sound foolish."

He leaned back, surprised but flooded with warmth. Even if he did not believe in this religion, Steve's words were moving. He believed in the lyrics of the song, that Starscream was so important to him that he retained this feeling in the next life. It was quite poetic and so profound that it was hard to react.

"No, it's…" Starscream couldn't stop staring and blinking at him. "You aren't a fool for believing that."

He had never felt so cared about in his life. He hardly felt that he deserved this at all. His past had been filled with cruel and selfish acts, but someone mourned his false death and worried about him day-by-day. He wondered if he was appreciating this enough. The last thing he wanted was to be was ungrateful to Steve.

So he lifted one arm towards Steve, offering it to him. The vehicon jolted, looking back with his body expressing all the emotion that his face could not. He grasped Starscream's wrist, laying it into one palm and putting his other hand over it. The thin metal was pressed as Steve searched for the unique beating of his spark. Then, he felt it at last, and he sank into the couch.

Starscream knew exactly what this meant for him, so he let his wrist be held even as the band packed up. Valor trotted down the stairs, meeting Starscream with Mint and the drummer.

"It's good to see you again," Valor said. He then looked at Steve and Starscream's arm in his grasp. "So you understood our song. What… did you think?"

"I did not realize fifteen vehicons had gone missing. I promise that I will make this known to the Air Command. We will find them."

"I hope they will return safely, but since we do not know…" Valor sighed. "I don't want the others to feel so sad. I want them to have hope." He lowered his hand onto Mint's shoulder. "And I believe too, that no matter what cruelty comes to us, we will always find our way home."

The words clenched him, especially with Steve holding him as though, if he let go, he would lose Starscream.

"Er, Moonwing…" Valor now rubbed the back of his head. "I want to tell you something. I was waiting to tell you face-to-face. I hope you won't be disappointed. I'm leaving the academy."

Shiloh and Steve must have already known this was coming, since they did not react.

"I know I wanted to break stereotypes, and I do think I was getting better and would have made a great cop! It's just that… Mint got accepted into a musical university. I couldn't bear to leave him, since we have always played music together. I also applied, and they've just accepted me. I was always scared that vehicons would never make it in the music industry, but I'm willing to be brave. We're going to do this, together, and with Black Storm." He gestured with his head to the drummer. "So… thank you. For all the support. I know where my spark lies, and I will keep fighting for my dream, just like you did with your dream of becoming a good Seeker."

Mint nodded along. "We're so proud of you, Moonwing. You became such a courageous lieutenant who helps everyone. When we see you in the news, we're so happy for you."

"And we remember your videos and jokes." Valor's body twitched with remembered amusement. "How you made us laugh and made the sad vehicons have some moments of joy despite the discrimination they face and despite their losses. Would you… think of coming back?"

"We all want to see you," Mint agreed.

Starscream nodded, murmuring, "Yes, I can come back."

It meant so much to them. And now that he was here, he couldn't imagine not returning.

Valor said, "I'll find your crown and get you a proper cape then. Then, you'll be a real Starscream."

At that, Starscream smiled back.

On the stage, a vehicon was starting up new music played off a tablet. The volume was low for now, trying not to obtrude itself upon those still caught in melancholy. But gradually, vehicons were regaining their posture and spreading apart.

"Well, we'll be heading home." Valor bowed slightly. "Goodbye, Moonwing."

He returned the farewell, then Steve murmured, "You can go home too. You must be tired. Have you been recharging enough?"

"I suppose some rest would be good," Starscream admitted. "I have the time for it, since I only have to go to work in the afternoon."

"Altihex is closer to the Predacon Valley," Steve said. "You… can teleport there with me. You can rest in my berth and make it to work quickly without having to pay for the groundbridge."

"Thank you." Again, Steve's consideration felt so undeserved. He then passed a sincere thank-you onto Shiloh, for all that he had said and for bringing him here. He departed with Steve, entering the hall where they could open up a groundbridge on Steve's remote device. Even if it was illegal, Starscream was glad to step through it and enter Steve's home. Getting to work would be much easier and free.

On top of that, he hated sleeping at Optimus' when he wasn't around, or in Vos because he would certainly be alone. When Starscream saw the berth, he contently lay down onto it, feeling all his exhaustion at once. Steve rushed away for something, letting Starscream have just enough time to send off his request to see Jetfire later. Then, Steve returned and dropped something down on the corner of the berth.

"I just cleaned this. You had one before, and I liked it too… so I bought one."

It was another chain-mesh blanket. Starscream sat up to unfold it then drape it over himself. He clicked it on for a slight heat, then sighed in relief. It was already starting to feel good against his aching limbs.

"Thank you," he said again.

"I'll be right there" -Steve pointed to a desk in the room- "Just studying. If you need anything, some energon…"

"Alright."

"And… I guess I will be going back early in the morning. I have classes again tomorrow, and…"

"I understand."

"So if I'm already gone, you can lock up for me."

Being trusted with this, although it was a simple thing, also made him feel warm. He agreed, and the vehicon nodded back once. Steve then stepped away from the berthside, heading to the desk as Starscream shut his eyes. For a while, Starscream listened to Steve settling, his seat creaking as he clicked a screen and took notes. The sounds of calm life would draw him into the kind of sleep without nightmares. But before then, Starscream murmured.

"Fort Scyk is in the south."

The noises paused. Starscream felt Steve looking at him.

"I will be careful," Steve murmured back. "But I should be safe at the academy. They have security there."

"Don't go out alone, Steve. Especially at night."

His warning had touched the vehicon. He had worried for Starscream being among the Predacons, and now, Starscream was also worried about him. Steve still would have liked Starscream even if he was selfish and hadn't cared about his safety at all. But, to have Starscream like this brought him such happiness.

"I won't, Star," he answered. "I promise."


	27. Chapter 26: Prepare For The Show

Feet shuffled by the door. Starscream peeled open his eyes, groggily remembering where he was and the night before. He noticed Steve near the door, about to leave with his things.

Over his hand, he mumbled, "Bye, Steve."

"Bye…" Steve paused. "I set an alarm for you… so that you won't oversleep."

"Okay."

"Erm, b-bye…"

Steve then slipped out the door, and when it shut behind him, the silence was palpable. Yet Starscream curled back in on his fatigue, and the alarm startled him awake long after. Then, Starscream hopped up with determination, folding the blanket and leaving it in the corner.

After locking the door, he exited the apartment and checked his cell. Jetfire would see him tonight. Satisfied, Starscream jetted off to the Valley, meeting Air Raid for commands.

"Has anything happened?" Starscream asked.

"Nothing in particular," Air Raid muttered, his tone hinting that it was the usual tension. "Do you as usually do, and make sure Sunchaser isn't around his Predacon _friends_. He's on the city's edge patrol, and he strays too far from the others too often. I got a complaint just last night that he went off on his own without warning anyone."

"I understand," he lied.

Air Raid nodded to Starscream. Then, Starscream headed to the city patrol and surprised Sunchaser, who was doing just as he was not supposed to. The golden Seeker was talking quietly to Checkers, who was in his bot-form and nodding to something. Sunchaser looked nervous, as though he didn't want to be caught by the other Seekers. When he saw it was only his lieutenant coming over, he was relaxed and kept on talking.

Starscream landed beside him and the Predacon.

"Hey, Moonwing." Sunchaser turned to him. "We had a newly forged Predacon transferred here today. I heard that some of the others weren't friendly escorting him with the Elite Guards. They were… extremely rude. This poor Newspark doesn't even know what's happening on Cybertron, and the first thing he gets is this treatment. It also upset some of the other Predacons who saw it."

Checkers wore a disgruntled face, but he did not judge Starscream. Rather, his eyes sought his help.

"I assume that you saw this?" Starscream said.

The Predacon nodded. "Just a joor ago."

"Which Seekers?"

"Ahm, the light-brown one and the white one."

Starscream uttered, "That would be Sandstorm and Skylight."

He could forgive Sandstorm, who was grieving for Redwing. But Skylight had always been trouble, especially since she had started shipping off ideological information to the media.

"Where is the Predacon now?" Starscream asked.

Checkers replied, "I reckon he's with Predaking, getting a home and some help settling."

"Sunchaser, I want you to find the Predacon," Starscream said. "I want you to make up for everything that was said to him."

"R-really?" he blinked. "Won't Air Raid be angry?"

"This is my command. I will deal with the consequences."

Sunchaser and Checkers brightened up. Checkers chirped, "That's awfully kind of you, Moon. And braving Air Raid like that! That is something."

He then transformed, unfurling his four patterned wings and flapping into the sky. Sunchaser overtook him, and as Starscream watched, he briefly informed Sunchaser's teammates that he had sent him away on a "mission". Vagueness was key.

Then, Starscream decided now he would use his cunning for good purposes. Even if he would lie and deceive, it was the only way he could take control. He could not hurt Air Raid to take his place- that was out of the question, and Starscream did not feel any inclination to harm him. In a way, he emphasized with him. He was just a loyal Autobot who had turned bitter under stress, who wanted to protect his officers.

So, he would have to use his words.

Starscream called Skylight through his commlink, asking her to meet him in the city centre. The self-centered, radical bot would be easy to manipulate, and this location itself was part of the plan. He needed to be close to Air Raid, who would be looking over security footage now. She couldn't have time to speak with him after what he was going to say.

There were a few Predacons passing through or lazing about, who looked over when they saw the Seekers. Excellent. Witnesses would perfect the reaction, and increase Starscream's own popularity.

"Skylight." He raised his voice just enough so that others would hear. "I am unimpressed by your work. In the beginning, you slacked off. Now, you are a constant problem to the well-being of the population here. You write discriminatory, offensive comments. Your behaviour to the citizens you are supposed to be serving is unprofessional. I have no choice but to remove you from the district and send you back to Vos."

Predacons jolted, looking up with excited eyes. Was this really happening? Indeed, the white Seeker they despised, who constantly abused them verbally, was getting fired.

"What?" she cried. "You can't be serious- you can't do that!"

He knew she was protesting only because she wanted to keep her double pay. And she was right; he couldn't do this. But this was the juiciest part of the plan.

"Air Raid has already agreed with me," Starscream said steadily. "You are a poor worker. You harass the Predacons unjustly, and your behaviour today was the last straw."

On the inside, he felt a spark of excitement. Perhaps he shouldn't have enjoyed lying so much, but the deception was rather fun. Skylight's mouth gaped until her face scrunched up in fury. As he had known that it would.

"Fine then!" she snapped. "I didn't want to work here anyway, with these horrible creatures! I'm happy to leave!"

All too perfect.

"Wait for a moment," Starscream replied. "I will tell Air Raid now that you have been informed."

They were standing near the building where Air Raid sat and studied his footage. Starscream slid in, finding the room. He knocked politely, then entered.

"Sir, I spoke to Skylight about her behaviour today," he began.

"What behaviour?" His eyes flickered over the multiple screens that were playing simultaneously.

"She lost her patience today with a Newspark Predacon. She expressed that she doesn't want to work here anymore."

Air Raid turned his head to him. "What?"

"Skylight hates working with the Predacons. She just told me," Starscream went on. "In fact, she shouted it earnestly. Though, I must say, she has always been a poor Seeker. She is lazy and focuses too much on her blog. Not only does she waste shanix, but she endangers her teammates for being so distracted."

As yes. _Distracted_ was exactly what Air Raid hated the most, especially now.

Air Raid nodded slowly. "You know, I do agree. She never looked out for the others. In times like this, we cannot rely on her. She might cause someone else to get hurt."

"So then, shall we allow her to leave?"

Air Raid, believing he was ultimately making the decision, stood up. "I know we are understaffed, but I would rather lose a bad Seeker than keep one. Hopefully she will be replaced soon anyway. Is she nearby?"

"I asked her to come here, to speak to you," Starscream said. "Although, I suppose you ought to tell her what you just decided."

"Let us go then."

Air Raid led the way down the hall, and Starscream allowed himself a victorious grin before concealing it. He was straight-faced when he exited back out into the public.

"So you don't want me, huh?" Skylight growled, wings bristling. "Fine then. Send me to Vos! I hate these demons!"

Starscream had left her alone with the snickering Predacons just long enough. Oh, such satisfaction to have a plan perfectly come together! He suddenly missed this rush, to have everyone do as he wanted.

"Very well," Air Raid uttered. "I will inform Silverbolt immediately about your return. Leave now; you no longer work here."

The Predacons couldn't help it. At the final words, they cackled and cheered. Without knowing about his lies, they assumed Starscream had somehow convinced the stubborn Air Raid to remove her. Skylight seethed at their laughter, shouting some swears and insults back at them. Air Raid wrinkled his eyebrows, finding that even she was going too far.

"That is enough, Skylight," he said.

Without another word, she threw herself into the air and transformed, firing away as fast as she could. Air Raid watched her disappear into a cloud, and said,"I should have fired her long ago."

"I agree, Sir. You made a logical decision for the benefit of us all."

The Air Commander turned back, heading to his room to continue his work. After he had left, the Predacons swarmed Starscream, laughing and reaching out to clap him on the back.

"You did us a favour. Thank you so much. She was just the worst!"

"Maybe the media will stop being so loony, with her gone now."

"I hope this will be the case." Starscream dipped his head. "Now excuse me."

There was more that needed to be righted. He rushed into the air, then asked Sunchaser for his coordinates. After receiving them, he commanded Sandstorm to meet him near them.

So he waited, and the beige Seeker came to him. Starscream lay his hand over Sandstorm's forearm and tried to think of what Carnation would say. He always spoke about equality for all races, and to judge by individual faults and successes. It took Starscream many minutes of re-quoting the vehicon teacher, and throwing in some of Optimus' preaching, before Sandstorm's scarred face fell with guilt.

"Oh, I am sorry…" he rumbled. "That's how an Autobot should be thinking. I'm not so good at it yet."

"You aren't the only one making this mistake," Starscream murmured. "But you can make up for it. Come with me."

He led Sandstorm around a corner and down the street. When he saw Predaking, the new Predacon, Checkers, and Sunchaser, Sandstorm hesitated.

"Oi, what do I even say after how I behaved?" he whispered.

"Apologize, and stay with him. Sunchaser will help you." Starscream pushed Sandstorm up to the group.

Predaking was too distracted to notice his presence at first. He heard Seeker footsteps, one pair heavy, and assumed Air Raid had returned to "negotiate" with him. As he turned, Predaking muttered, "What is it now-

But then he saw Starscream with another Seeker.

"Oh, it is you."

In his gaze was legitimate relief to see Starscream. It was astonishing that after how Predaking had threatened him before, his shoulders were now relaxing at the sight of him.

Starscream set Sandstorm in front of the new Predacon. The Predacon hardly knew any words, but he had understood the viciousness that had been directed at him an hour ago. He recoiled, uneasy, as though expecting the beige Seeker to hurt him. Such delicacy was truly surprising. While the older Predacons boasted of their superiority, here, the youngest of them was wary of the smaller, winged creature. He did not even know what missiles were, and they were not what he feared.

Perhaps, this behaviour spoke more truth about that topic of true nature. This Predacon was just as sensitive and innocent as the Newsparks Starscream had been raised with in school. Sandstorm came to this realization as well and was overwhelmed by his previous behaviour.

"I am so sorry for what I said," Sandstorm told him, even if the Predacon didn't understand him now or had even understood his earlier words. But the Predacon learned right then, what the word _sorry_ meant, attaching the meaning to his gentle gestures. Starscream knew that the apology would work out. And so, Starscream decided to leave them to it, departing despite Predaking's surprised expression.

He checked on everyone as he was meant to, but he popped into the new facilities and tried to meet with as many Predacons as he could. Bitter conversations quieted when he came, for no one wanted to offend their lieutenant. His very presence was enough to ease tension, and the more he showed his face, the more power he had.

Everything was going well, until Aceflight's voice came over his personal commlink.

"Hey, uh, chief," he said. "Something happened to Charred Mist. I'm not sure what but… come over here. I saw him with your vehicon friend, looking terrified. We're by the school."

Starscream did not hesitate, blasting off to his position, but the scene he came to showed no sign of battle. In the clean patch of metal in front of the school, Aceflight was a red stain clasping a rusty shadow. Nearby was the silver spot of Carnation with three Predacon shapes with him.

When Starscream landed, he couldn't quite figure out what had happened. Charred Mist quivered like a leaf, but he was not leaking from any wounds. While he seemed uninjured, the Predacons looked downcast, making Starscream assume that they had seen what had happened.

Once Starscream was close enough, Charred Mist drifted from Aceflight to him. Suddenly, Starscream found himself being latched onto as though he was a protective figure, like his Optimus.

He assumed Charred Mist wouldn't want to speak, so he looked to Carnation.

"What happened here?"

Carnation was candid in his response. "I caught these Predacons tormenting him. They had pinned him to the ground and were purposefully frightening him. I saw them through my office window and stopped them."

" _These_ Predacons?" Starscream looked at the faces turned down in shame. They seemed embarrassed to have Carnation explaining their actions, looking as guilty as children caught by a parent. The respect they held for the vehicon must have been so great that he alone had stopped them and kept them from fleeing.

Aceflight hissed, "So they attacked an officer? We have to arrest them!"

It was true. Starscream too, was offended that they had ganged up on Charred Mist. He imagined that they took the agile Seeker by surprise, probably hitting him from behind. Even if they felt guilty, he couldn't set the example that actions went without consequences.

All he could do was be peaceful about it.

"Yes, we will have to arrest you." Starscream placed Charred Mist behind him. "So do not resist us."

He did not want to raise these powerful missiles at them, or even make a scene out of using his shock blasters. The Predacons jolted, frightened at the idea of being apprehended. Clearly, when they tormented Charred Mist, they had not been thinking of the repercussions.

"Oh no, please," one of them whined.

"Your punishment will be easier if you regret your actions," Starscream assured them, knowing how true those words were for him as well. "And if you comply with the arrest right now."

They gazed at each other, but not to plot a resistance. They were hesitant, scared of reality.

Carnation said, "Do as Moonwing says."

At that, the three Predacons nodded. Aceflight skipped ahead to call Air Raid, much to Starscream's annoyance. But with him, Air Raid brought three pairs of cuffs. Naturally, he was aggressive after hearing that they had assaulted a Seeker. He roughly slapped on each cuff, then followed the normal procedure. A groundbridge portal was opened, and newly trained Wreckers helped escort the arrested Predacons through.

They were fully compliant and silent. But even after they had silently been pushed out of their hands, Air Raid was seething. But it was not for the reason Starscream would have thought.

"Why did you let them do that?" Air Raid snapped at Charred Mist. "You should have fought back!"

The black and brown Seeker pressed into Starscream, and looking at him, he realized that Charred Mist's missiles were missing. The black rods of them were by Carnation's feet; they had been ripped off at some point by those Predacons.

Carnation was unnerved by Air Raid. As mature and smooth as always, his voice rang out, "He was in no position to fight. I did not see how it began, but they held him to the ground and pressed his wings over his arms. One was in beast-form, nipping his wings to intimidate him."

It was very difficult to see, but now Starscream noticed the dents peppering Charred Mist's wings. They were not serious injuries, but they would be throbbing. And he imagined how frightening it would have been, to be pressed down on his stomach while the Predacon toyed with him. Moreover, fliers hate having their wings forced into any position or touched without consent. It can be irritating or frightening, thus he sympathized heavily with Charred Mist.

"Why weren't you alert?" Air Raid carried on. "They never should have caught you!"

Starscream put an arm around the shocked Seeker. "Anyone can be taken off guard. This isn't something one would expect to happen in a public space. As you can see, they were seen and stopped."

"And what if they hadn't stopped?" Air Raid countered. "They could have killed him, and the teacher would not have physically been able to stop them!"

Carnation replied, "They would not have gone so far. They were angered by how the Newspark Predacon was treated today, but they took their anger out on the first lone Seeker they saw. They were also furious about the missiles, and that is why they disarmed him."

"It's always about revenge," Air Raid growled. "Every time, revenge for something! This race is so inclined to it like a bunch of Decepticons!"

"I made them understand," Carnation said. "It took only a calm explanation. They are just as reasonable as you and I. A violent response on your part is unnecessary, and is it not equally vengeful? They believe that fliers are an aggressive race because of how you act. Do you see the circle here?"

Air Raid twitched. "Ridiculous. Do you see any fangs on us? They are obviously inclined to violence, and to deny that is scrap."

He swooped down, grabbing the fallen missiles. Suddenly, on another note and ignoring the vehicon, Air Raid went on, "Are you alright, Charred Mist? Perhaps you should go home and rest. Someone else can come in for you."

Starscream said, "Actually, I must go speak with Jetfire. I can take him with me."

"What? Why didn't you warn me before?"

 _Because then you would feel like you are giving me permission to go_ , Starscream retorted in his head. _And you must understand that I have the power to decide for myself._

"It will be no inconvenience. Cloudtips may act as lieutenant in my place. He is intelligent and responsible, would you not say? It would be good training for him. And I will not be long, I assure you."

"Very well," Air Raid answered, as though he had the authority to decide. It took effort to not twitch in irritation. But he informed Cloudtips, then gathered Charred Mist. The fragile Seeker had never really left his side, still finding so much comfort from Starscream being there. It took only a touch to edge him into the sky.

Once they left the boundaries of the district, Starscream assumed he would be calmer. He waited for Charred Mist to be capable of elaborating more on what happened.

But the first thing Charred Mist said was, "Do you think Air Raid was mad at me?"

"No," Starscream replied. "Just at the Predacons. He was just worried about you in… his own way."

"I just always wonder if he thinks I'm too weak to work there," Charred Mist admitted. "I think the older Seekers think it. I know that I am weak, but I can still fight. Everyone doubts me, and I really thought that he was just about to kick me out of the Valley."

"I wouldn't let him do that," Starscream consoled him. "And I know that you can fight. You were chosen to be in the advanced program for a reason. Besides, I am not strong either. But our speed, endurance, and spirit make us formidable fighters, even if the Predacons don't realize that yet."

"Those Predacons said such awful things. They made fun of how short and thin I am, that it was so easy to beat me. They said that… Seekers are too weak anyway to deal with Predacons, so it was especially easy to overpower a Seeker as small as me. It was so unfair. I would have tried to fight them, really, but one of them threw something at me from a window. A big lump of scrap hit me in the head, and I blacked out for a bit. By then, they were already on me, taking off my missiles."

"Why didn't you tell Air Raid that?"

"I really wanted to say it, but it was so hard to talk. And I thought the teacher saw it and would just say it," Charred Mist said. "And… wouldn't Air Raid be angry anyway? He would still say, 'Why weren't you paying attention?' Oh, but I was! I just… can't look in all directions at once. And then- if I said that, Air Raid would say, 'You shouldn't be by yourself then'. But I don't want him to think I am useless- Oh, why didn't I just see the ball of scrap coming? Maybe then, I do need to pay more attention, but…"

"Don't worry anymore. You will just look out more, won't you?"

"Yeah…"

"How is your head now?" Starscream asked.

"Oh, it hurts so much. I feel nauseous and a bit dizzy too. I can fly, but I really do need to lie down."

"You should see a doctor."

"Yeah..."

"And your wings?"

"I got pinched so hard, and even if I'm not leaking, it hurts a lot. I don't think I'll be able to lie on my back until they heal…"

"Let the doctor decide how much time you should get off work," Starscream said.

"Is that really okay?" Charred Mist probed guiltily. "I heard that Skylight just got fired. Don't you need me?"

"You _are_ important." Starscream chose his words. "But we want you to feel better. You can't work with this much pain."

"Don't you work despite your pain?"

"That is… different. But my condition has healed enough, so I do not feel pain while working. I understand, however, that there are limits. Pushing through serious pain will damage you more. You have to rest."

"Okay."

Charred Mist's full willingness to listen to him showed how much he respected him. Starscream thought at that moment, that Charred Mist might accept him if he said who he was. They had spent so much time together, and Starscream's original teammates trusted everything he said. If he told, Aceflight, Cloudtips, Twilight, Soft Breeze, Comet, or Charred Mist- they might not care he was Starscream. They would be surprised, but they did not fight in the War. They might only see him as he was now.

Starscream suddenly wanted to tell Charred Mist. It felt a bit like deception now, to pretend he was someone he was not. And this deception was not pleasant like the last time. But what if he was wrong? He needed their support too much right now. Also, the more bots knew his secret, the more risk there was of someone spilling it. He even thought that many of the Predacons would not care that he was Starscream, and perhaps Sunchaser would still like him too. But Sunchaser was not a Newspark. As happy-go-lucky as he seemed, what if the Autobot had a vicious, Decepticon-hating side? What if Sunchaser secretly hated Starscream for something he had done?

Sunchaser never wanted to talk about the War. He also cheerfully said that they should work on forgiveness and healing, but, what if his avoidance of the topic meant something else? It could be possible that Sunchaser's life was not so bright.

So then, Starscream decided he could not tell them. If he ever did, it would have to be after the organization was defeated. Later. For now, he fell silent and completed the flight to Vos with Charred Mist. Starscream led him to a medical facility before waiting around for Jetfire to be free. Once he was, he headed to his office to meet him.

Doors were closed, and they were free to talk.

"So you wanted to talk about the missing vehicons?" Jetfire recapped his earlier message. "You think they have something to do with your Predacon problem?"

Starscream was comfortably seated across from him.

"I think that those missing cases and perhaps other missing cases since the end of the War might be related to this. Or, though this may be a stretch- all the missing cases."

"Are you insinuating that all the missing bots might have ended up like the Newspark in the mountain, eaten by Predacons?"

Starscream frowned. "I hope not, but it is a possibility. What is undeniable, however, is that those blood samples are coming from somewhere."

Jetfire leaned forward in interest. "I see your point now. They would take vehicons because they could take many of them without attracting much attention. Fifteen. Indeed, you were right. I looked into it and apparently fifteen have gone missing in the southern hemisphere in different cities. It does look like someone was trying to be stealthy. But, now I am left wondering… why would they need so many vehicons?"

"I dread the answer, but I hope that they haven't been replacing vehicons they have killed."

"Indeed, our enemy is far from merciful. If it really is Shockwave and however many Predacon clones, then why would he keep vehicons alive? I imagine that he might take some of their blood, then let his beasts practice with them."

Starscream hated to imagine he was right. But, these Predacons would be raised to be violent like the one that had slaughtered prison guards to release Soundwave and Slipstream. Every part of him just prayed that the vehicons were alive, because he wanted to reunite them with their grieving friends. The vehicons believed in reincarnation, but Starscream knew that if the vehicons were dead, that was the end of them. Nothing would be left.

The idea squeezed his throat and chest. It was tragic, but it had happened hundreds of times already to the vehicons. Why would the organization care about preserving vehicon lives any more than anyone else? They were spare parts, experiments, and vessels of blood.

"We cannot track their life signals, even if they are online," Jetfire hummed. "But, if we collected blood samples of all the vehicons beforehand, we might be able to track the next to be taken."

"I considered that," Starscream murmured. "But, the organization will find out we are doing it. All they will do is corrupt the energon so that tracker Predacons cannot find them."

"Predacons wouldn't want to drink corrupted energon."

"They might just take one vial from a vehicon and quickly send it to the Valley. Someone would dispose of it faster than we can track."

Jetfire sighed, "They would just switch targets anyway, to save themselves of the trouble. Soon, they will know that we are onto them about the vehicons. Next, they will target the citizens."

"Vehicons are citizens as well," Starscream had to interject. "They are missed, and are just as important in locating."

Jetfire gazed at him curiously, but did not deny the statement.

"We need more Seekers in the Valley," Jetfire said. "With more optics, we might uncover something or someone."

"But more Seekers will raise tensions," Starscream said. "We will make more enemies. And, ever since we added more cameras, the smuggling of energon has changed. They found ways to be secretive. Air Raid hasn't seen anyone passing out anything. Adding more Seekers won't help us catch what the cameras already cannot, if the energon is just passed around outside of the district."

"Well then, if Predacons work all over Cybertron, then the dealers could be anywhere too. So then, shall we try to equip Predacons with cameras? Or if we even secretly do it to the new Predacons that are forged, we might catch something."

Starscream wrinkled his face. "But, if they discover your treachery, they will be infuriated. We would never recover if Seekers were caught clipping cameras to citizens."

Jetfire shifted in impatience. "But we _must_ do something. Predacons are becoming more and more of a threat. They are growing arrogant, and creating pride cults about their so called _superior_ , _natural_ _strength_. You know our history, Starscream. What we used to think were myths were real. Predacons divided Cybertron into hunting grounds, and if they had the chance, they would eat us like any other animal. They thought we were lesser beings- meals! And now it is starting all over again."

Jetfire had entered a stride, and wanted to make sure he had finished his point.

"It was like that until one thing stopped them. Someone. Prima challenged the strongest Predacon to combat, and he won. He told the Predacon leader that if they stopped preying on the bipeds, the Primes would not come after them. After that, no Predacon dared bother our kind again. But, Predacons went extinct and have only come back now. They have forgotten that lesson! If we force them to fear us again, they will leave us be as their ancestors learned to."

Starscream knew the story already. He had stayed silent as Jetfire plowed on, then now said, "The Predacons might not have feared our ancestors. Perhaps, they respected them."

"I doubt that. The Predacons were so dismissive of us, understanding that we were sentient, but they had hunted us anyway. I cannot imagine that they were struck by any sort of startling revelation."

"Things were different then," Starscream said. "Though, I was not there to judge. But what I do understand is that the Predacons of today are making bipedal friends. Some are upset by dead animals, and they show disgust at the idea of drinking any kind of blood. Predacons do not have to be our enemy. Optimus would agree. He wanted only peace between all Cybertronians. What we are doing is not the Autobot way."

Starscream half expected Jetfire to critique him, saying that he had no right to define an Autobot. But Jetfire was quiet for a long while, looking downcast. Perhaps Starscream had struck a good blow; Optimus might have just spoken with Jetfire, and he had opened a wound of guilt just now.

"Look, all you have done is reject my ideas," Jetfire murmured. "What other solutions are there? I tried all that I could, and yet… In all honesty, Starscream, sometimes I feel like we can't stop this."

Starscream jolted. So he had not been the only one feeling helpless. He had sulked alone with his friends, thinking he was only pathetic. They could have been supporting each other, instead of both hiding in fear.

"No, there is something we can do," Starscream said. "As we were just speaking, I might have thought of something."

"You have a plan?"

After rethinking it in his head, Starscream nodded. Yes, he had something, and the burst of confidence turned up a smile on his face.

"Well, would I truly be me if I _couldn't_ come up with a plan?"

"Go on, then." Jetfire couldn't help but smirk back, crossing his arms onto the table and leaning over them.

"We could use a Predacon as a double-agent. They could feign interest in the ideology and get one of the samples. They could pretend to drink it, hold it it their mouth, and return it to us. We could check the CNA to figure out whose energon it is, and then, we could have Predaking track the energon back to its source. We can trust him. And then, we would have one chance. We could storm whatever base we find. I doubt the organization operates under one base, but it would be our first chance to uncover them. We might even capture some members prisoner and the patch would reveal the rest."

Jetfire's eyes lit up in sudden hope. "Could you really get a Predacon to do this? Is there a Predacon you can trust enough?"

"There are many," Starscream answered. "My Seeker, Sunchaser, will know who to pick."

"This Seeker, he was an Autobot. So we will trust him with this?"

Starscream nodded. "We must."

Jetfire stared at him; Starscream blinked back. They hadn't been so close the last time they had spoken. Jetfire had been further back, but now, the atmosphere was even more casual than that time. There seemed to be appreciation in Jetfire's eyes. Like with Predaking, Jetfire found himself relaxing in Starscream's presence.

"I am glad to have you on our side, at last," Jetfire murmured. "I forgot just how clever you can be…"

Starscream didn't know how to react. Was this a comment on how his plotting before had been destructive? Or was it an innocent compliment on his plan? His wings bobbed, but the rest of him was still.

But Jetfire continued, "I wonder… If I should leave you in charge of Predacon Valley. You might be right about antagonizing the Predacons, and Air Raid and I might have been making things worse…"

Starscream's eyes stretched wide. "What do you mean?"

"Perhaps I should remove Air Raid, and make you the Air Commander."

Yet Starscream felt a jolt of fear. How would Air Raid react to that? And would Starscream instantly make himself a target? How would Predaking react, when he had threatened him before?

Though, Starscream had already been putting himself at risk for being so clearly on the Autobot side. It might not make a difference anymore. He was already a threat to the organization as the lieutenant, and he had made drastic changes to the Valley without consequences. If anything came for him if he made another change, well, then maybe he could use that to his advantage. He could be bait and capture one of them for information.

"I would have to reason with Air Raid first, of course," Jetfire said. "But I might be able to make him a lieutenant in Vos. That amount of power should satisfy him. Fireflight would not mind giving him his position, or sharing it rather. It might work. And if I am honest with myself, Air Raid has not been like himself in a long time. He needs to be removed from this stress."

Starscream gaped.

"Give me a week," Jetfire said. "Then, I will promote you."

"Y-you trust me that much?" Starscream gasped. Again, as with Optimus, he did not feel like he should be given this much confidence. He knew he would not betray them, but how could they understand that, after all he had done?

"Actually, now I can tell you about _my_ plan," Jetfire continued. "It was just an idea I have been considering these last few solar cycles. Earlier, I was thinking of putting on a military show to show off our might and intimidate the Predacons, since they have been calling you weak. But, after what you said, this could work. If you want peace between the races, bots on your side… Starscream, you can lead an air show. Make it as captivating and artistic as possible. Then, after you have caught everyone's attention, I will promote you live. They will listen to you then."

Starscream gasped and froze. So much was being decided now, and if they went through with this, Starscream would gain incredible power over the minds of the world. An air show and the promotion would lead to the immediate changes Starscream would make in the Valley. He would become something like a celebrity on Cybertron.

"I accept," Starscream breathed. "This may work. We can remove all power that the organization has, if we create this peace."

"We need that sample to track first though," Jetfire grinned. "So how about we get started on that, and you start organizing a show? How about this: you go to Tarn and train some Seekers at their stadium. We will have the show there with cheap tickets to fill the stadium. I will put Silverbolt in Predacon Valley. He is clear-headed and intelligent, so he should be able to keep peaceful relations and calm down Air Raid. If I add a few more Seekers into the Valley, then you can even take out some of your own teammates to do the show with you."

Starscream felt impossibly light as he realized they might have just done it. This all could work, and they could take control and finally hunt down this threat. They might even bring back the vehicons and many other missing Cybertronians. The excitement flashing in Starscream's eyes was seen by Jetfire, who knew that he was right to trust Starscream. The one sitting across more him felt more like a long-lost friend than ever before.

Jetfire reached his hand across the table, grasping Starscream's and shaking it.

"We make a good team, Starscream." Jetfire said. "Now hurry back to the Valley and prepare your Predacon double-agents. I will find you a crew for the air show, some help with equipment and choreography, and I'll take care of promoting the event. Once you are done, stay in Tarn and practice. Make sure you are the final act, and for once, be the biggest show-off you can possibly be."

"Alright," Starscream replied. "And if that is your command, then I will flaunt my skills to the world. They will know without a doubt, who the best flier on Cybertron is."

Jetfire smirked. "Is that a challenge? You almost tempted me enough to join the show to prove you wrong."

"A shame that you will be too busy, _Sky Commander_. We'll have to have a competition later."

"Indeed." Jetfire's expression softened. "After all this is over."

It was about time then, that they get on it. There would be much to do. Starscream nodded, smiling gently, then made his exit.

* * *

It was up to Sunchaser, who came back to Starscream and reported that three Predacons would do their task. These Predacons were some that Starscream did not know well, but that would only make them less suspicious to the organization. Predacons were all given traditional, fierce names. But Sunchaser's friends were uncomfortable enough with their names that they preferred their nicknames. So the Predacons that they would rely upon were dubbed Flutter, Sniff, and Whiskers.

Somehow, the names made Starscream trust them more. Sunchaser showed him their pictures, for Starscream did not want to attract attention to them by seeking them out. After this, Starscream's next task began. He needed to pick Seekers to join him in the air show, and he had two specifically in mind.

Starscream found Aceflight first. He and Cloudtips were the best fliers of his original group, and he felt a particular attachment to them. Ever since they had started getting along, they had found that they were always in sync. In the air, they followed Starscream with an ease that was not natural in the others, as though they shared one mind and they could predict Starscream's next moves.

Aceflight was walking with Daybreak, and Starscream heard just a snip of their conversation.

"I don't know, what if we were like that weird, radioactive Seeker from the War? Then the Predacons wouldn't even want to come near us!"

"Who, Sunstorm?" she imputed.

"Yeah, or what if we had like a mini lazer thing in the sky that would shoot-"

Starscream quickened his pace and came up behind them. They heard him and turned, and Aceflight immediately forgot what he was talking about. Then, Starscream explained everything about the air show, except for the crucial detail that he would be promoted. The red eyes Starscream looked into expanded with unbridled excitement, and Aceflight started shaking.

"Me?" he trilled. "You want me and Cloudtips?"

"We work well together," Starscream said. "And both of you are extremely agile. Your moves would impress the onlookers."

"Yeah they will!" he grinned. "Us three, the deadly trio- we'll knock the wheels off 'em! Oh yes, I can't wait! They'll know the name, think I am cool…"

"Come with me now."

Aceflight followed Starscream with full enthusiasm as they sought out Cloudtips. All the while, Aceflight would not stop chattering. When they landed, he broke the news to his closest friend before Starscream could. Aceflight's voice carried, and Predacons looked over in interest. Some of them who liked Starscream, meandered over and transformed.

"You're doing an air show?" one asked. "Where? When?"

To the Predacons surrounding them, Starscream re-explained. They perked with interest, then expressed that they would like to see him and buy the tickets.

He did not have the details for them yet, when his job was to head over to Tarn and wait for Jetfire's crew. Hopefully, talking to Air Raid and relocating Silverbolt had not been difficult for Jetfire. It was difficult to tell, when Air Raid only grumbled when Starscream announced his departure.

This would be his first time in the rebuilt Tarn, though some emerging, hazy memories told him that the atmosphere was the same. All about sports and the military, Tarn had multiple stadiums and gyms to appease its burly citizens. Starscream saw the crowds of Bulkhead-like bodies as he arrived to the biggest and most expensive stadium in all of Cybertron. He felt even smaller once inside it, when he stepped onto the massive, multipurpose field and spun to take in the vast surrounding of seats.

Standing in place, he imagined a full audience watching him, lights striking his frame and the big screens filled with himself. Starscream was immediately struck with inspiration on what he and the others could do here. Developing routines would not be too difficult, since they could perform formation drills, bring in training obstacles to use, and dodge blasts. Suddenly, Starscream decided that they could fly at night and incorporate mesmerizing colours to add that artistic flare. There could be a play of lights on the surfaces, Seekers smeared with glowing colours, and illuminated objects all around them.

Then, music. They could throw in some of the trending songs, but Starscream had a shining idea that perhaps, the musical vehicon duo could provide him with one of their own songs. If their song was played during his solo performance, he had the chance to give them attention or fame. It would be a great opportunity to slip in awareness about vehicons, especially to raise concern about the missing ones that had disappeared unnoticed.

There was so much he could do with this. Starscream hoped that everyone in the High Tower would see him. He didn't think Optimus was the type to buy a ticket and sit down for a military show, but a pull in his spark made him pray that Optimus would see him even if on the television. He even felt himself hoping that Ultra Magnus and Arcee would watch him. A part of him was eager to flaunt his abilities, but the greater part of him wanted those like Smokescreen to know how much they had helped him. Without them, he would not be here now, strong enough to perform what he thought would be the most artistic flight show in Cybertronian history.

But he had to be sure it looked as beautiful as it possibly could. Knockout could help him colour the Seekers, and Starscream thought that he should seek out other opinions more qualified than his. Firestar, the dance and sword-fighting instructor, could help him match movements to songs. These other Seekers being sent to him might know other bots who could give valuable advice. He knew that he couldn't do this on his own; he needed help and he needed to insert all the values he had learned into the performance.

This had to be a culmination of everything he had learned, otherwise, the passion would be lost, and the show would be like any other strict military show. He would have to show them that Seekers and flight weren't arrogance and intimidation, but that the Air Command was a collaboration of trust, and flight a delicate freedom of joy and danger. If Starscream could manage it, the world would listen to him, thus beginning the first blow against discrimination and the organization.

The idea of performing in front of the world's thousands did not daunt Starscream. Being in a stadium like this made him firmly sure that he had happily done presentations in the past, many military shows where he absorbed the applause and praise into his ego. He also did not imagine that he could ever slip up on an obstacle after he spent so long dodging blasts and flying for his life in the War.

This was nothing to him, but his friends were young and nervous. Starscream knew they would be flawless performers once they got down to it, so he wished that they would feel the same excitement and impatience as he did. Starscream couldn't wait for everyone to watch him dominate the courses and speed around the field. The Autobots who knew him would now see the extent of Starscream's skill, but they and the world would also know the side he had chosen. And after he had stunned the population and claimed his former caste position, the powerful rank of Air Commander, there would be nothing stopping Starscream then.


	28. Chapter 27: The Golden Shooting-Star

They had practiced that week, thirty Seekers in all, with the guidance of others and the tight security of the Tarn military. At last, they had perfected a performance to be shown to a full house audience. For in two days, the tickets had sold out after the announcement of Cybertron's first air show since the end of the War. No one was aware that the event was strategic, but saw it as a sign that the War was truly over.

Those who could not snag tickets would have to watch the event televised, but Starscream made sure to reserve places for Steve among other vehicons. Though he knew all his other friends too would be watching, wherever they were. Now, after night had fell and the heating in the stadium warmed those seated, the Seekers finished getting ready backstage. After showering in oil, every performer polished themselves and each other until every surface glimmered. Then, they carefully smeared on the luminescent paint onto their bodies, according to the colours and areas indicated by Knockout.

He was there, supervising them. Starscream made sure he was paid so that they could keep him right until the end, making sure they looked their best. The silver and blue of Starscream was concealed under glistening gold dye, and whenever he spun, it was as though brief ribbons of gold floated in his wake. Some of the Seekers, too nervous and energetic for the show's start, were burning off their energy by skipping and letting the glow of the colours chase them.

Amidst the tittering backstage, Knockout halted Starscream for a moment.

"Are you sure you aren't in any pain?"

He had been training hard all week, but there was only a dull throbbing throughout his body. It would vanish once he was warmed-up and back in the air.

"I'm fine, Knockout."

"Are you sure? The things you will do tonight are intense."

"I am sure."

Then, Knockout smirked. "You don't seem at all nervous. Everyone's going to be watching you."

"Please, I've done shows before. And I actually enjoy having the eyes on me. If anything, it makes me better."

"Pff, of course."

Knockout looked into Starscream's golden eyes. They were meant to match his typically golden Vos insignia, and the paint over his body. Although he was night-black, the gold streaks and his bright eyes made him stand like a radiant blossom. Once the lights hit him and the shadows danced over him, he and the other Seekers were going to dazzle the audience.

"Then I won't wish you good luck," Knockout said.

"What is luck?" Starscream grinned. "Why, I don't think I know the meaning of that word. All I have is my skill."

Then, he pushed Knockout toward the exit.

"Now go to your seat already," Starscream growled amicably. "We will be starting soon!"

Knockout disappeared, and Starscream headed to the Seekers who were beginning to organize themselves. Everyone remembered all of their training, but they hardly needed help now. They stood and stared at a small screen, which displayed the field under full light and parts of the audience watching from the darkness. The stands were crammed from each row to column, countless eyes glowing and staring down at the flat area.

Barely visible shadows of Tarn soldiers and Elite Guards hung at exits, but they were also guarding outside the arena and had checked each arriving viewer. Jetfire had been most worried that someone would try to place a bomb, that the organization would deem the show enough of a threat to intervene. Though he had tried his hardest to advertise it as a harmless, entertainment event much like a circus full of tricks and music. Again, hopefully, keeping Silverbolt in Predacon Valley -making it two Air Commanders there- was much more distracting.

For now.

There was no performance yet to look at, as the Seekers waited for their call. In a boxed area above the field, a hired Tarn announcer was just beginning the introduction. Starscream had snatched a flag, and bode the time carefully unfurling the cloth and practicing his grip on the pole. Once their cue came, he moved forward with hardly a thought after so much rehearsal of this. The thirty Seekers, broken into lines of five, followed him stride-for-stride. Starscream slung the flagpole over his shoulder, fitting it in place against his wing before he was the first to break into view.

He wanted to look through the crowd for familiar faces, but he didn't want to lose his focus. A classic military beat had begun, playing from multiple speakers within the stadium, and his footsteps fell with each clash. He pretended he didn't know the cameras had focused on him and the Vos flag, instead keeping his face still and eyes forward. It was all a brief act, until the Seekers had spread out behind him to take their positions in a circle. Starscream too halted onto a barely visible square, acting stiff and proud until the military song skidded to a stop.

The audience sat unmoving for the moment of silence, before the beats of a very familiar song on Cybertron began. It was new and trendy, and as the new beats pounded into the stadium, an excited cheering rose like a roaring wave. The field cracked, and the Seekers rose on the rising pillars as the song picked up speed.

The white lights toned to yellow, then separated into dancing circles of colours. The pillars darkened, and Seekers stayed dark silhouettes until lights flashed over them. Glittering and glowing, the Seekers smiled and raised their arms, forgetting all nervousness now as the crowd applauded and whooped. Starscream rose on the highest pillar, kept in the darkness as he ascended higher and higher. With a hiss, fog drifted into the arena and swallowed up the ground from sight. In the shadows over the smoke, Starscream puffed his chest and waited for the lights to freeze in place. Then, the spotlights all focused on him for a moment, capturing his smile and charismatic arm raised to the sky.

 _Are you watching, Optimus?_

Then, the lights flickered onto each Seeker in rapid succession. Starscream collapsed the pole then tossed the fluttering flag over the edge. A Seeker below him launched off a pillar, catching up and falling head-first alongside it. Then, in one fluid moment, the flag was thrown into his cockpit as he transformed. Once that happened, each Seeker dropped from their pillars, flipping once, twice, thrice- then vanishing into the smoke just metres off the ground. The watchers had been gripping their heads, gasping together as it looked like all thirty-one Seekers would crash. But then, with a conjoined screech, the jets tore from the fog, spinning like torpedos into the air.

Starscream rose into the lead as the Seekers fanned out in formation. It was just a warm-up, but the spectators were already in awe to see them spinning and diving in sync as though they were tied by cords. Just them turning upside-down was enough to cause them to jump in their seats- they hardly had any idea of what they were capable of, and they had seen nothing yet.

He wished he could see their faces, but as Starscream twirled and weaved around the pillars, he didn't have time to narrow in on individuals from the crowd. He did not imagine someone like Arcee would be there, but he hoped that she had come. They hadn't spoken in so long, that Starscream was starting to think he had misinterpreted their last meeting. Was she still furious with him? He wondered if she, Ultra Magnus, Windblade, and the others, thought this was all him just shallowly showing off.

Starscream double-backed, taking the majority of the Seekers with him back into the tunnel they had emerged from. A small group was left behind to perform a routine on their own. A new song had commenced, its vocals and beat following them down the hall. The Seekers walked slowly, cooling down and smiling at their first success. In the back room, they sat and stretched, watching their comrades on screen.

The Seeker who had caught the flag now set it to the side as Starscream sat down. He joined them in watching the others loop around the pillars, flashing sideways as new obstacles stabbed up in front of them. The stands shifted like currents, anxious and impressed as each time, the Seekers avoided getting impaled.

 _Are any of them happy for me?_ He wondered, letting the faces of the Team Prime Autobots flip through his mind. Smokescreen, he hoped, was glad. Maybe he was here tonight, seeing him fly without pain. Starscream should have asked him, but all week he had been too nervous to do it. If he asked, they might feel awkward about it, which Starscream couldn't handle. It wasn't worth it if someone came just because they were pressurized to. He wanted one of them to come just to be proud of him, happy that he was happy, and in good health.

The obstacles went down as the next batch of Seekers went in. There were four of them, partnered up in daredevil drills where they would fly directly at each other. In the last second before fatal impact, they twisted, nearly skimming each other's undersides. They joined their partners and flew in stacks, spinning together and managing not to tangle their wings. Breaking off, they performed the suicidal stunts a few more times to booming music and frantic lights. The audience was completely riled up and shocked, never once finding a dull moment as each presentation included something new.

All of it was fun, but some of Starscream's joy was sapped as he sat and waited. More Seekers went in, flying, flipping, and dancing to pop. He tried to feel excited again, since he had been all week. His thoughts wandered off however, and he wondered what Megatron would think if he could see him.

Aceflight and Cloudtips hurried up to Starscream as soon, they would be going. Starscream rose to his feet and limbered up with them as other Seekers played an intense game of chase through the obstacles, a show of escape tactics and ambush strategy. Then, the obstacles dropped and rose, changing for their next performance. Starscream readied himself in the tunnel at the front of his friends, listening to the applause left over from the last group.

When he remembered that somewhere in that crowd, he still had friends clapping, he felt a burst of energy. Starscream wanted his former enemies to see him, but even if they weren't here, vehicons, Knockout, clubmates, peers from school, Predacons- many had shown up just to see him. With a smile, he transformed and tore out into the field.

Cloudtips and Aceflight, shimmering silver from their paint, zoomed after Starscream wherever he went, no hesitation no matter what sharp turns he made. It all was easier when the routine had already been preplanned. They waited for the new obstacles to settle in place, circling the field upside-down before flipping onto pillars.

This was just one of the training exercises they had done in Vos, a Seeker activity called "the ring game". Back under Cybertron's caste system, Starscream had never gotten to play such games, instead being drilled constantly for battle. He saw now, how right Steve had been to say that he had been shoved into the military life. Everything had been strict, with missiles and obstacles, and he never had a choice over what he would be.

Starscream sped across the vast field towards one of three pillars. Upon each one was a hook with a ring dangling off it. Picking up speed, he calculated the right moment to transform. At once, he, Aceflight, and Cloudtips reached for the rings and yanked them free, tossing them into their cockpits and continuing. After another loop around and twirling under the lights, they tore back at the hooks, transforming again. In precise movements, they reached inside themselves, taking out the rings and slapping them back on the hooks. This was much harder, and the rings swung dangerously, but they stayed in place as they flew off.

With the cheers and music, Starscream was really starting to enjoy himself. They completed all the usual varieties of the ring game, where they threw the rings into the air or at each other to catch, or where they had to do flips and other tricks before fetching or placing back the rings. The onlookers could not fathom how they moved so fast, and cameras slowed down the movements, replaying them on the big screens. Even then, as Starscream filled the screen with his eyes narrowed in for a grab, no one could understand had he had orientated himself and timed himself so perfectly.

And again, he thought, they had seen nothing yet.

Once he zipped to the back room again, he relaxed with his teammates. Aceflight was still charged from their presentation, and he hopped around Starscream and Cloudtips, squealing, "Ooooo! We did it, I mean of course we would- but in front of all those bots!"

He puffed out his chest and put up his chin. His brilliant smile softened Starscream's face.

"You two did well," he murmured to them.

"That was so fun!" Aceflight chirped. "Oh, and I love following you. When it was just us, it felt so easy. It's like we've been flying for centuries together, honestly, but thinking about it, we haven't practiced so much, right? It's like we were forged to be together."

Cloudtips chuckled, "Remember how much of a hard time you used to give him?"

"Oh come on, let's not talk about _that_. That was so long ago!"

"Not it wasn't." Cloudtips grinned and shoved him.

"You weren't nice either!" Aceflight flung back, trying to scamper away.

"I was trying to support you," Cloudtips growled playfully, rushing him. "You were so sensitive, wanting to be the best. You wanted to be a lieutenant like Moonwing!"

They had all taken the rings with them, and now Aceflight whipped his at Cloudtips in defense. It bounced off him and skidded past Starscream, before Cloudtips tackled Aceflight to the ground. The other Seekers watching the screen, jumped at the crash and looked back. But the two had stopped to snicker and giggle on the floor, continuing to wrestle as the Seekers looked away.

 _It was like we were forged to be together_. Those words hovered in his mind, warming Starscream's chest. For a long time, he had felt close to these two, more than the rest of his team. Even in his past, Starscream had never felt so attached to his Seekers. His relationship with his past lieutenants had been strange; they were loyal to each other as Seekers, but there had been snarkiness and bitterness. They hadn't gotten along so well, and Starscream got jealous when Megatron ever praised one of them instead of him.

He supposed he had been closest to Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Slipstream, since he hadn't cared when the other lieutenants had been shot in the sky. Yet Starscream remembered Thundercracker's and Skywarp's deaths during the War, on Aquatron. Thundercracker had been given a Quintesson trial and fed to horrific Piranacons. As for Skywarp… Starscream felt a vicious twinge of guilt. He had remembered their deaths in earlier dreams, but he remembered now how he had betrayed Skywarp, leading him to his demise. It hurt more now than ever, that he had done it.

When Starscream looked at Cloudtips and Aceflight, he saw so much of Thundercracker and Skywarp in them. Cloudtips was strong and calculating, Aceflight was also a jokester, and both were magnificent fliers. It was painful to think that Starscream had never been this close to his past teammates. Why hadn't they laughed these innocent laughs in all that time they had had together? How they did end up enjoying blasting bots into charred corpses?

" _Moooooon_!" Aceflight screeched and squealed. "Heeelp!"

He struggled under Cloudtips' weight, trying to slither away. Starscream stayed where he was, smiling as they fought. After a few minutes, they broke apart, warm from exhaustion and panting. The red and silver Seeker plopped down beside Starscream, leaning against him and groaning, "You didn't help at all! You just sat and smiled, Cruelwing!"

He stretched his back into an arc, bending Starscream over. He tried to push against Aceflight's wings, but then he whipped around and squeezed Starscream into a hug.

"I should never have been a jerk to you! I don't even care that I'm not a lieutenant, you know. I like having you as our boss. You're the best, chief."

Starscream raised his eyes to Cloudtips, then looked back down to Aceflight. They had no idea what Jetfire intended to do. Very few did, but now he asked Aceflight, "If I had to pick one of you to be my lieutenant, who do you think it should be?"

"Oh! Haha, Cloudtips. I'm not nearly responsible enough," he giggled.

Cloudtips said, "Oh come now, you can be serious if you want to be. You would learn when to keep your mouth shut. If Moonwing had to pick one of us, it should be you. I don't mind my position, but you have always wanted to be a lieutenant."

"Aww, Cloudy," Aceflight purred back. "You softy. Like a real cloud."

"Clouds are not soft; they are wet. Wouldn't you know that by now?"

Aceflight let go of Starscream and made a face.

"Well then." Starscream dropped his voice into a whisper. "There is something I want to tell you. But don't tell anyone yet, understand? Tonight, Jetfire is placing Air Raid in Vos. I will be the new Air Commander of Predacon Valley."

" _What_?" Aceflight gasped, his own whisper excited. "Air Commander? Really! Moon, that's great! You'll be so good, I just know it!"

"So then, Aceflight," Starscream murmured. "Will you be my lieutenant?"

His red eyes flew open and he slapped his hands to his face.

"S-seriously?" he squeaked. "Oh, yes! Yes, of course! I'll be the best I can be, quiet and good, mature, serious-"

Cloudtips smiled broadly and wrapped his arms around the bouncing Seeker. "Guess you were right about destiny, Ace. Happy?"

"Happy?" he cried. Then he jolted and tried to keep quiet. "Happy doesn't even describe this! Oh, we'll need a new word!"

Aceflight switched from Cloudtips and hugged Starscream tightly, shaking him side-to-side.

"Thank you," he breathed. "I won't ever let you down!"

"I know you won't."

Cloudtips took out his ring and placed it onto his friend's head like a crown. Even after he let go of Starscream, Aceflight let it sit on his head as he sat in quiet contentedness.

"Seriously?" he asked again after a few minutes.

They were peering at the show on screen, but no one had stopped thinking of what he had just said.

"Yes," Starscream replied.

"Me?"

"Yes."

For a long time, they watched the others performing their own tricks. Aceflight kept trying to confirm, but Starscream's reply remained unchanging.

More time passed, then Starscream rose. The end was near, and it would be his time to shine alone. He pulled out his ring and left it on Aceflight's lap. After he wandered into the tunnel, Starscream took the time to stretch away some of his aches. He was out of sight from the crowd, but close enough to hear the next announcement.

Seekers jetted into the tunnel, transforming and walking past Starscream with respectful nods. Then, the black and gold Seeker turned to the light at the end, listening as the music died down.

"And now," came the booming voice. "An announcement from Sky Commander Jetfire before the final act!"

 _Jetfire already?_ Starscream's eyes widened. He had said that he would promote him afterwards, but sure enough, Jetfire's voice came out clear throughout the stadium.

"We all know beloved Moonwing," he said to the thousands listening at that moment. "Rescued and raised by Optimus Prime, he was turned into an incredibly skilled Seeker, our current lieutenant of Predacon Valley. His hard work has helped many, and I have realized that he is the most capable of uniting the races and hunting down our true enemy. Intelligent, agile, and friend to many, I am proud to promote Lieutenant Moonwing to commander! Everyone, please welcome Air Commander Moonwing as our final, most challenging performance!"

Starscream gasped, his mouth hanging open. An uproarious cheer followed his words, and through the claps and cries, he heard the chant.

" _Air Commander Moonwing! Air Commander Moonwing!_ "

Then, his song began. The creation of Valor the singing vehicon and Mint the instrumentalist, with the help of their new drummer. No one here, save for the vehicons, had ever heard it before. But Starscream was thrown off guard for a second before he realized the song was playing, then he recovered his timing, transforming and speeding into the field. Light fell onto him, gold streaks glinting under a crazed crowd. The final set-up of obstacles were emerging from the ground as he cut sharp turns around the field.

It began with the powerful beats of the drums, some of Mint's fine music weaving into it gradually. Starscream flipped and dropped to the ground as the obstacles settled in place, and turrets pointed down at the course and in the field beyond it. Everyone understood at once what he would do. The blasters became live, rotating and firing down until the field and obstacles were being hailed with angry blue light. They were low heat and weak, but they would leave visible singe marks on his gold if they touched him. Yet after all of this week's training, not once had he been struck. Other Seekers, had tried it and done quite well, but had always received at least one hit.

No one knew how he would manage to get through this. But the sounds of blasts were familiar, and the obstacles were like the burned framed of buildings. This chaos was embedded into his core, and he felt all the times he had survived such war scenes. It was built into him, and it always had been. No matter how afraid he had been of Megatron or dying, he was not scared once he was in the air.

The drums subsided as the beautiful, violin-like melody took over. Soft and gentle, like the vehicon playing this. Like the vehicon watching him from the stands. Valor and Mint, with Steve, Shiloh, Carnation, and countless others leaned forward. The Predacons curled their claws and gaped, and from the announcer's box, Jetfire began smiling in secret pride.

Then, the passion set in. The vehicon determination to make their own futures despite all the obstacles. The music picked up, and Valor's voice entered, wordless, but vocalizing in harmony to the instrumentals. Starscream sprinted and transformed, charging into the thick of danger as the audience stayed breathless, hardly blinking.

Starscream hardly thought, but felt where he needed to be. He twisted one way, snapping back the other just in time as a blast struck a pillar. With the most accurate, miniscule movements, he dodged the blasts and wove through the obstacles. He used the thickest obstacles as cover, and the smaller ones to switch directions. Instead of turning in jet form, he transformed and snatched every pole to swung himself around. Spinning and flinging himself, he still flicked his wings and dodged every blast.

Perhaps it was unnecessary, but the timing and tosses resembled an aerial dance as he pranced through heavy fire and music. Halfway through, they lost it. The crowd raised their fists and screamed as he zipped and threw himself through the course at high speed, untouchable and unfazed. The music of high rises and drops, together with the deep vocals, emotionally drove some of them to stand. Lights kept taking turns flowing over Starscream, influencing the golden light that seemed to trail off him. Ruby-gold, honey-amethyst-gold, attached to an unstoppable night shape.

And once he hit the open field, he burst into top speed. The air was thick with blasts, pelting out from all directions. Starscream whirled and tilted himself, catching the pockets of safety he sought out in the patterns. When he saw his way barred, he transformed and dropped through the air, just for a moment, then transformed in a barrel roll into safety. The end pillar was fast approaching, but Starscream focused on each coming blast before then. His mind was switched to his past, feeling the heat and moving his body away before he was burned. He moved as though to be hit, he would die, and yet, he couldn't help but find himself vastly enjoying the moment.

Yes, this was _fun_. Everyone loved seeing him be himself, free, fast and agile in the air. As blasts flew past him, he felt special in a way that did not nourish his ego. He felt loved, wanted. Starscream curved and descended, falling to the pillar like a shimmering, shooting-star. Feeling whole in his spark, he back-flipped and landed neatly onto the pillar, bowing to the onslaught of applause. Then here, as he straightened himself, Starscream peered into the crowd searching for them, Optimus, Smokescreen, Bulkhead, Arcee…

Starscream first saw the vehicons on their feet, then the Predacons, and finally, he saw Predaking. It was just the large outline of him, his face too far away to see, but he was facing Starscream on his pillar and the massive screens behind him that were filled with his victorious pose.

There was a quick flicker of fear, but he tried not to show it now. Predaking had just seen him promoted to the Air Commander of his district, which he had vowed to never let happen. Before, Predaking had snatched him, threatening his life, and growling that he would never let Starscream have such power. Did he just see Starscream's performances as self-gloating?

Starscream flipped back off the pillar, falling head-first like in the beginning. He transformed near the cold, metal floor, then blasted off into a final loop. The turrets powered off, and the swarm of thirty Seekers erupted from the tunnel to join him in the sky. The last formation, the collective roar around the field before landing onto the flattened expanse back in their original lines. The music was becoming hard to hear over the clamour of the audience, but the dramatic military marching song returned. The Seekers pretended to be serious, marching to the exit as the crowd burst into laughter at the humorous conclusion.

Then, boisterous praise struck their backs as they disappeared into the tunnel. And now out of sight, the Seekers were mad with joy, hooting, jumping and dancing. After seeing Starscream's spectacular solo, they patted him, smiled, and complimented him in passing. Starscream wasn't ready to wash off his paint as they would; first, he strode out through the exit to greet the journalists who were rushing to him.

Microphones were shoved by his face, cameras drones buzzed around him, and multiple questions were hurled at him. Starscream faced them as some of the audience began to trickle out of the stadium, stopping however, to listen to him. Some Elite Guards made sure he wasn't crowded, protecting him from danger as more stopped to see him.

"Commander Moonwing!" one journalist cried out to him. "What are your plans for dealing with the Predacons?"

"What changes do we expect to see in the district?"

"How will you guarantee Cybertron's safety?"

Starscream picked one camera drone and stared into it. He had rehearsed a speech beforehand, trying to make it something that Optimus would nod along to as he heard it. For undoubtedly, every Autobot that had helped him would eventually see this.

"The most important change Cybertron needs is nothing I can do alone. The change we require is tolerance of our fellow Cybertronians, and I can only encourage it. I will not intimidate innocent Predacons into submission. I will promote peace between Predacons and bipeds by removing our fatal missiles, replacing them with less dangerous weapons. I am sure that it is understood now, that we Seekers have enough skill that we can manage without them."

Starscream concentrated on what else he had planned to say, trying to remember it all now.

"The Seeker staff will remain the same, and funding to the Valley will be increased for more development. The happiness of the Predacon race is crucial to preventing an unnecessary war. We must understand that they are not our enemy, but they can be if we continue to treat them as criminals from their forging. I have Predacon friends, and so do other Seekers under my command."

He raised his chin defiantly.

"The past is over. In this new age, race is not a barrier to friendship. I have learned from Optimus Prime that all sentient beings deserve just treatment, to be judged as individuals, by their actions and regret. We do not give the Autobot name justice if we decide that only _some_ bots deserve freedom. And as I am an Autobot, I will protect the rights of everyone, be they fellow Autobots, former Decepticons, bipeds, quadrupeds, minicons, animalistic types, or Predacons."

Of course, the audience that had seen him tonight had been mixed. At the mention of the others, a few minicons and beastly Cybertronians looked to Starscream with hope. They saw him as their new voice, which they had not expected since their own discrimination had faded into the background with all the recent focus on Predacons.

"Discrimination started our last war, and it gave Megatron his drive and power. Shall we foolishly let the past repeat itself, destroying everything we have now? I am certain that we can collaborate, for Primus has not made mistakes in our creation. We are meant to exist, thus I will work with the Predacon leader to find solutions to racial discrimination and crime. I will support Predacons entering new careers, as fellow Cybertronian teachers, police officers, doctors and nurses. You may not support me now, but you must ask yourself, what would Optimus do? If you have any respect for our Prime, then the answer will become clear."

Starscream could see that his words were not completely penetrating the journalists. No one was going to be ready to accept Predacons so easily, but they were at least inspired by his passion. He just had to start somewhere, and more interviews would follow later with more chances to use Optimus' name as a guilt card.

He had been concentrating so much on the camera that he had never noticed footsteps behind him. Starscream suddenly noticed that some eyes had moved past him before looking back to his face. Yet when Starscream had paused, a hand stretched behind him and fell onto his opposite shoulder. And he recognized that weight. Turning his head, Starscream looked back into Predaking's benevolent gaze.

The peace in his eyes proved that he had heard everything. Predaking drew Starscream into his hip, a partial embrace as they stood before the journalists and their cameras. He almost wanted to ask Predaking incredulously if he was truly happy with this. It was just surreal to know, right here and now, that Predaking wanted Starscream to be his district's Air Commander. That there was no one else he would rather have at his side.

Careful with his claws, he moved his palm in a reassuring circle on his shoulder plate. Yes, it was okay. Predaking's earlier threat held no weight now.

And then, raising his voice, Predaking picked off where Starscream had left off, agreeing to everything he had said. Before they pushed off away from the press, Predaking announced one last thing.

"I agree with Jetfire, that Moonwing is the best choice to be the Air Commander of my district. I am looking forward to working with him."

It was warm, warm in Starscream's chest like any time he was around his friends. It was a sign then, Starscream knew, that this was the start of a friendship between him and Predaking. Comfortable by his side, he did not imagine that Predaking would ever hurt him. Starscream was even glad that the world would see them together like this, and some of the world would understand just how far the two of them had come.

Again, he wondered, _Do you see me, Optimus?_ _I wouldn't be here without you._

* * *

Starscream had asked for a portal to take him, Predaking, and his two Seekers back to the Valley. Admittedly, he just wanted a long rest, but first he had to be true to his word. Starscream gathered all his Seekers, where Air Raid and Silverbolt appeared in the audience but stayed respectfully silent under his new authority. Before a vast cluster of Predacons, Starscream publicly commanded the Seekers to remove their overpowered missiles. They clattered with resounding thuds, then Starscream asked for all the Vos Seekers to depart with them. Air Raid and Silverbolt, with ten others, bore the missiles back to their capital and disappeared conclusively through a portal.

Most of the original Seekers of the Valley were here, but a few were off duty. Regardless, they would all switch to less dangerous heat-seeking missiles as soon as they could. The Predacons were relieved, and the rest of the Seekers were satisfied with Starscream's order. Especially after seeing the show televised on some screens in the city, they felt more sure of their combat skills than before.

Starscream was proudly placed on the stage, still glittering and decorated from the performance. Before, White Dragon had stood here and corrupted the others. Now, it was his time to take the stage and send his message. For the first time Predacons and Seekers mingled with Predacons on the ground, with no Seekers hiding back on the roof. All the original Seekers that preceded him in the Valley happened to be here: Sunchaser, Barrel Roll, Airglow, Daybreak, and Sandstorm. That is, those that had not been lost to their ranks. Only Twilight and Soft Breeze of Starscream's team had been here, joined now with the return of Aceflight and Cloudtips. Nine, ten with Starscream included, of the twelve remaining Seekers of Predacon Valley.

Once, they had been fifteen. But so much had changed in such a short amount of time.

Starscream waved for Aceflight to join him on the stage. Then, he proclaimed, "Now, as I am no longer your lieutenant, Aceflight shall take my place. Respect him though he is young, for he will be responsible and ready to serve your needs."

Everyone clapped heartily, especially those who had seen him perform on TV that night. The older Seekers, the veterans of the War, were not offended that Starscream had chosen the Newspark. They already believed that their commander was also equally young, so they accepted Aceflight as they accepted him. Cloudtips looked especially proud, and Aceflight's face twitched as he tried to suppress a smile then failed.

Starscream announced that he would get more funding to have more structures built in the Valley. Of course, everyone reacted with excitement at the idea of new activities. Starscream would look back to the poll he had made with Sunchaser, picking the next most popular choices. And he was almost ready to hurry off to the High Council at that moment, but Predaking came up onto the stage to stand beside him.

"Thank you, Commander Moonwing," Predaking told him. "You have already done much for us. Now, you deserve your rest."

Was it fine to rest already, when he had so much power now? Yet he didn't resist when Predaking led him off toward a public shower. The last applause of the night hit him as he left, then in solitude, Starscream washed away his gold. He regained his silver and blue, then considered his eyes for the first time.

Without Air Raid, he could make them whatever colour he wanted, silver again if he wished. But Starscream chose to concentrate on returning his simple, natural colour. He felt a twinge in his T-cog, and assumed it had worked. After he dried off, he stared into a reflective wall to find twin red spheres glowing on the metal.

He had gotten quite used to his eyes. No one had hated him for them, and at that moment he was feeling quite proud to be himself. With a confident stride, he stalked back to the centre which had almost now been entirely cleared of Predacons. Aceflight had already sent the Seekers back to work, but Predaking remained here. And when Starscream saw him, he froze.

Like a ghost, White Dragon had suddenly appeared and glowed ominously beside Predaking. Starscream too, felt a chill from her presence. He had almost forgotten about her, since he hardly ever saw her around. But now, he remembered how Predaking had once agreed with her that Seekers were too weak to work here.

"Moonwing." She turned her head to him. She had never addressed him so directly before, and with her sharp gaze, Starscream was startled. Afraid, even, though he did not want to be. "Congratulations. I am sure that you will be a great help to us, as Predaking insists."

Starscream knew tones and deception, and her words reeked to him of dishonesty. She was not at all pleased that he was the new Air Commander, but she turned and moved away in a calm manner. As Predaking began to lead Starscream away, he murmured under his breath, "Do not trust White Dragon. I can sense something wrong with her. She is evil."

"Evil? What compels you to make such a strong claim?"

"They way she talks and behaves," Starscream said. "She uses her words to sway people like Megatron did- can you not see? She says what everyone wants to hear. Do not let her fool you and control your mind."

Predaking paused, blinking. He seemed to truly be considering his words as he took them inside his home.

"Perhaps she does want power," he said. "But she has not done anything evil."

"She would," Starscream whispered. "If given the opportunity."

His face revealed his doubt, but he was purposefully trying to value Starscream's opinion. For the sake of their new partnership, he conceded, "Very well. I will take caution around her."

Starscream nodded slowly in gratitude. It was still uncertain if she was connected to the organization, so it was best that Predaking kept a critical mind when listening to her.

Predaking led them into a second room that was not separated by doors. He indicated the largest berth Starscream had ever seen, something like a nest of blankets on the floor that Predaking would curl up onto in beast-form. Both amused and impressed, Starscream stepped up to the berth and settled like a dot in the corner. Burrowing under one of the blankets, he felt small but not frightened by the feeling this time.

"What will you do?" Starscream asked.

"For now, I will stay here. You will be in more danger than before, so I cannot leave you alone while you rest."

So he would watch over him. Starscream found that it didn't disturb him in the slightest. He was used to being watched while he slept, by vehicons or Optimus, and had grown to enjoy it. He thanked him again, then he tucked himself in until only his face and hand were visible. Starscream found sleep instantly, but his concern about White Dragon had influenced his mind.

In his dream he saw her face again, jaw opening and teeth bloodied. Then, he saw Thundercracker falling into the water, Piranacons swarming over him, teeth- before he was pulled under the bubbling surface. Sharkticon fangs, the Predacon in the mountains about to bite Comet, teeth… teeth...

After an hour had passed, Starscream sat up with a gasp. Predaking was sitting on the floor, reading something, and looked over for explanation.

"Just a dream," Starscream whispered. He grabbed the blankets and hurled them back over himself.

"What about?"

"Nothing," he mumbled. But as he waited for his body to stop shaking, he peered over at Predaking. "What are you reading?"

"I am studying science, for there is much that I do not know that is basic to others."

Starscream shifted in curiosity, peeling back the blankets a bit. "Were you intending to apply this knowledge to something?"

"No. I only wished to educate myself."

Starscream nodded into his hand drowsily. Then, he paused, wondering something he hadn't before, since they were on the topic of Shockwave.

"What is your opinion of Shockwave?"

"Shockwave? Why do you ask?" Predaking looked over at him. "Because you believe he is behind all this?"

"I wanted to know what you would think if he were."

Predaking nodded and closed his eyes. "I cannot deny that I will always feel a connection to him. I have heard the terrible things he has done to Autobots, but he only ever treated me with kindness. Therefore, I hope he is not our enemy, and I still could not hate him if he were."

"So, you still believe he would do this."

Predaking's gaze became conflicted. "It is something he might do, and yet, his final advice to me was to aid the Autobots in the fight against Unicron. I do not want to believe Shockwave is as cold as they say. I find peace in believing that Shockwave has left Cybertron with Megatron, leaving behind their dark lives in search of something better."

When he spoke so gently about Shockwave, Starscream could not help feeling for the one-eyed scientist. It was strange, that they had hated each other, but now Starscream did not want to fight him either. Imagining Shockwave and Megatron, living a new life somewhere else, was rather comforting.

Suddenly, Starscream remembered to check his popularity status. He dug deep into himself to pull out his cell. It had been silenced until then, for good reason. What he saw left his mouth agape: he had gained thousands of followers, hundreds of friend requests, and had approximately fifty messages from his friends.

Starscream prioritized and checked Steve's adoring message first, which read that he couldn't wait to see him. He was waiting with Shiloh and some friends for Starscream to be free, then they could meet up and celebrate. He was proposing some activities in his home city, Altihex, but knew it would be up to Starscream's schedule and level of energy.

He passed through the other congratulatory statements, but was quite surprised and pleased to see Smokescreen's message.

 _Went to see you with Bee, Bulk, and Jazz. You were awesome! I didn't know you were that good, no offense! Also, what song did you use at the end? Been trying to find it and download it._

Starscream found himself smiling as he read. All this praise made him feel so appreciated and loved. He couldn't imagine any other life after experiencing this. He had sent all his different versions of thank-yous back. Then, for Valor and Mint, Starscream lay back to upload the video of them playing the song at the club setting. Another vehicon had taken this video before and sent it to Starscream. The band had settled down in silence with recording equipment for the air show, but the lower quality video he posted now would show the vehicon band members clearly.

Now, he only had to wait. Predaking had been watching him, but Starscream did not mind as he put his cell to the side and burrowed back out of sight. Starscream dozed off again, but only had a few minutes of rest before a banging knock startled him awake followed by the door chime.

Predaking rose to answer it, and Starscream found himself rising to pursue him. Something had been frantic in the knock that put Starscream into a cautious mood.

The yellow Seeker, Sunchaser, burst in past Predaking, "We got it!" He scampered close to Starscream. "Whiskers obtained the sample!"

Starscream's eyes widened in understanding. "The energon!"

Sunchaser popped out a black box from his core, rushing, "Someone gave this to him while he was pretending to hunt. He pretended to like it and transformed into beast mode, keeping it in his mouth like you wanted. It worked!"

Starscream opened the metal container, and the blue glow of energon greeted them. Starscream gasped and his wings shot up straight, but then he peered at Predaking.

"Did you ever tell White Dragon or anyone else of this plan?"

"No," he replied. "I understood that it was a secret, thus I honourably kept it."

The excitement tingled anew.

"Then we have it." Starscream could barely believe it. "We can track them!"

Starscream set down the box and waited for Predaking to transform. Though the room was massive, he expanded until he nearly hit the ceiling. Silently, he lowered his head to the energon, scanning it and twitching his face with a sniff. Then, he transformed back into his bot-form to say, "This is indeed someone's energon, and I can track it. But there is something else in it that I cannot identify."

"We will have someone examine it later," Starscream said. "What matters now is that we can follow this back to their base. We must mobilize immediately, before they realize our trick and escape."

Tired though he was, nothing mattered more than this. The first opportunity, and perhaps they would find the missing vehicons at the end of this line. However, who knew what they were walking into? There could be many to fight, Predacon clones and Decepticons. Starscream needed to treat this like a final confrontation, which it would be only if they were extremely lucky. Yet it would be noticed if he brought an army into the sky. First, he notified the shocked Jetfire to be on standby. Only once he and Predaking had arrived, fifty Seekers would come through a portal to storm the base with them.

Predaking was already ahead of him, leaving the energon and heading for the door. Starscream jogged after him, Sunchaser following as they hurried into the clearing. After he transformed, Predaking stretched open his wings and launched himself into the sky. Starscream and Sunchaser were knocked off balance from the gust, then they stabilized themselves and transformed as well.

They hurried to get above the cloud line, staying out of sight the best they could as Predaking flew from the district. His head was forward, focused and concentrating on location of the source of the energon. Starscream and Sunchaser were matching his speed above him, slowing since even Predaking with his large, flexible wings could not match their pace. Everything revolved around him, but Starscream could not help but grow impatient to finally get the answers to questions he had been wondering for so long.

Each second without knowing what they would find was stressing him. Who would be there, holding those vehicons captive? What was their true, ultimate goal? At last, they were going to find out everything, and Starscream could not wait to finally understand the organization that had been hiding its face for so long.


	29. Chapter 28: Leader Down

The flight had taken them into the morning before Predaking landed in the Sonic Canyons. How coincidental, that they were peering into a tunnel much like the one Starscream had leapt down to force himself to fly. That a plain like this had been used to hide the body of Jag, and a plain like this had been sightseeing trips with Starscream's deceased friends.

"Down there," Predaking said after he had transformed. "I am certain."

With that, Starscream summoned the army. Sky Commander Jetfire with fifty Seekers crowded the area, some looking suspiciously at Predaking as though he was leading them into a trap. And it just might have been a trap, but by someone else's hands.

Regardless, they could not give the enemy any more time to prepare. They might have already been detected on the surface, so Starscream and Predaking plunged into the hole, transforming and charging to the far bottom. Once they landed on the ground, Predaking remained in beast-form and bounded ahead, the yellow glow of his body helping to light the way.

A metal door barred their way, but with a screech, Predaking slashed it with his claws and bowled through it. Starscream erupted into the massive room behind his lashing tail, instantly seeing the first Predacon that Predaking tackled. They had been waiting, six of them in all, after hearing the charge. Now, the clones snarled and warmed fire in their throats, claws beginning to screech across the floor towards him.

Then a volley of hisses filled the air, and multiple explosions racked the Predacons' bodies. Their eyes turned panicky once they noticed the oncoming wave of Seekers, and they skittered back as the army hailed them with nullrays and missiles. Blossoms of blood and smoke patterned their bodies as they collapsed in seconds, never reaching Predaking to even lay a claw on him.

The final Predacon transformed under Predaking's claws, writhing and terrified below him. Starscream ran to him as the other Seekers pointed their blasters at the heads of the collapsed clones and demanded that they transform. As they did and cuffs were slapped on, Starscream stared at the clone pinned by Predaking.

With slow tension, he hissed, "Where are the vehicons?"

Predaking growled lowly. The Predacon gasped, "The back, back there… Don't kill us. It wasn't us. We only guard here and we pass out the vials…"

"What wasn't you?" Starscream growled. "Who do you work for?"

"O-our creators! We'll- we'll tell you. Please don't kill us! None of us wanted to hurt them. Once we saw what they did to the other clones… We don't support them. Please, we'll help you if-if you protect us from them."

Starscream demanded, "Do you work for Shockwave? Who are your creators?"

"We-we don't know," the pinned Predacon whispered. "We only know this place, and only one messenger sees us. A weird bot with a patch over his left optic. He's the one who killed the vehicons!"

Jetfire was at Starscream's side now. "Primus. A bot like that could only be a Forged soldier." He turned to the listening army, to inform those who did not understand. "We thought we eradicated them. They are the genetically mutated soldiers of Shockwave, who were loyal to him above all else after the exodus."

Starscream took off running toward the only hall he saw. Jetfire jumped, startled by his sudden skidding footsteps.

"Wait!" he hollered.

But Starscream did not wait. He crashed into a stairwell, descending into a basement. There was no one here to fight him, but he would have if he had to. In another immense room, Starscream saw four prison cells made of metal bars. These cells were separated and in the centre aisle of the room like artwork displayed in a museum. Yet the medium was energon, dried and smeared on the bars and floor while a violent splatter nearly reached his feet.

Some bars were bent, some scorched with frantic blaster fire. In each cell were two vehicons, twisted and collapsed corpses on the floor. And for every cage, one of the vehicons was slit open, internals scattered and limbs shredded. Starscream's hands slapped onto his face, nausea buzzing in his head and gut.

The other vehicons were minorly scorched by blasters, and they lay back against the bars with eyes dark and lifeless. But it seemed that they had perished in a different way. Their faces were cracked and spiked, small fangs so utterly familiar and covered with energon. He knew exactly what had happened within these cages.

The Seekers who had rushed after Starscream caught up to him. At the sight of the carnage and cages, the Seekers hopped back in horror. Some tentatively stepped up to the prisons in curiosity, but Jetfire went to Starscream as he scrunched up his face.

"I know what they did to them," Starscream murmured.

He beckoned Jetfire to speak with him in private to the side of the room. Sunchaser was waiting anxiously as his commander headed away.

Starscream uttered out of earshot, "I have seen this before. This is Airachnid's disease, or at least, a modified version. The vehicons were infected and drank the energon of the others. But they do not have the same draining tube. They only attacked them with their… fangs."

"But Airachnid is in quarantine," Jetfire whispered. "Autobots have been working to cure her."

"Somehow…" Starscream ventilated. "They must have gotten a sample of her energon, then have been modifying it. The vehicons were not brought back to life. The disease must no longer be infectious, since the dead seem to have remained dead. And those vehicon test subjects must only have died from energon deficiency."

"Sir!" a Vos Seeker called Jetfire. The Sky Commander headed to him to the end of the room, and Starscream followed. This Seeker among others had found another heavy door around the corner, and Jetfire aided them in blasting it down. Then, they entered another large room now with T-shaped poles sticking up from the ground.

One vehicon was chained by his feet and hands to one of these poles, bent forward over his hollow gut. He had been dead for so long that the energon had begun to crystallize. A Seeker pointed at him and growled, "Look! Those are Predacon teeth marks. They lied to us!"

Another Seeker was opening up a cabinet, and inside, the shelves were filled with vials of energon. "Here!" he called. "I found them!"

Starscream saw them in his peripheral vision, but his attention was still on the vehicon. Slowly, he approached him while unsheathing his claws. Then, he lashed out at the chains. The razor edges sliced through them after a few hits, and freed at last, the vehicon fell forward lifelessly into Starscream's arms.

He was disturbingly light, but Jetfire still moved forward to help him.

"Allow me," he murmured. Jetfire took the dead vehicon from Starscream, then cradled him in his stronger arms.

"We can't reach Vos," a Seeker reported. "We're in a deadzone."

"Of course," Jetfire muttered. "Find the signal-disturbing rods and destroy them. Once we can send out a signal, we'll transport the Predacons and the victims."

Soldiers scattered to do just that. Starscream stood and stared at the vehicon in Jetfire's grasp, until Sunchaser finally held onto his arm. He knew how much Starscream had wanted to find the vehicons alive to reunite them with their friends.

Sunchaser whispered now, "They will be happy you found them. Their friends would rather have them laid to rest, where they know where they are and don't have to worry anymore."

Starscream nodded, but he knew telling the vehicons was not going to be any easier.

Seekers were collecting the vials and breaking the bars of the prison to reach the dead vehicons. Starscream saw them as he headed back to Predaking and the cuffed semi-circle of Predacons. Before he pressurized them for answers, a Seeker reported to Jetfire, "We've cleared the deadzone, Sir."

Jetfire tried to reach Vos, then shook his head. "We are still too far underground to be reached. I will try contacting headquarters in the tunnel opening."

He set down the vehicon and blasted off, leaving Starscream alone for the time being with the army, Predaking, and the captured Predacons. Predaking had transformed by now, and was standing among the Seekers.

"So then," Starscream muttered to their captives. He gestured to the bitten vehicon that lacked a few organs. "Would you care to explain this?"

The Predacons looked away, then began casting glances toward a particular cuffed Predacon. Starscream turned his head to him, then narrowed his eyes.

"It is a complicated story," he stammered weakly. "But we aren't like the others, I swear it."

"What others?" Starscream pressed.

"The other clones, we aren't like them. We were all raised the same, but I saw something I wasn't supposed to see. They use Predacons parts, see. Once I saw that, I told my mates and we knew something was wrong. We started questioning everything, even our education."

"Predacon parts?" Predaking interjected. "What do you mean? Tell us everything, from the beginning."

"Alright, here. I was part of a batch of ten, being educated in one room. The whole point of it was to teach us to hate your kind. They taught us language, and as they did that, they taught us that Predacons are the mightiest beings but weaker bots oppress us. They showed us Predacon protests, and also videos of bots, some vehicons, being devoured. And they said, that once the army was ready, we would take Cybertron back."

Starscream said, "Who taught you this?"

"We were educated by other Predacons, so I don't know if anyone else is above them. But see, then they chose me to lead my mates on a mission. I was so eager to get started, and I nearly attacked that one-eyed soldier that came to meet me. The same soldier who kept checking on us- that one. He left for a bit to get me a crew. While I was waiting, I wandered off and popped into a room.

"There were maybe five clones, clamped to the floor by their forelegs and backlegs, in energy prisons. They were so miserable, and they didn't even pay me any attention. I didn't know what was going on until I peeked into the next room. It was full of wings, armour, parts…"

The dirty-white Predacon jerked.

"It was so horrible. I can't stop seeing it. All those parts, cleaned and dry… Those clones were made to be harvested, and they are probably dead now. And me? That could have been me, but I was lucky. I was cloned for the army. I ran out of there because I knew they might catch me at any moment and terminate me! I only told my mates. But we didn't tell anyone else, because they might have figured out it was me who saw it."

"Yes," said another Predacon. "We don't really want to work for them. They don't want to help Predacons. They are brainwashing them and enslaving them… and they lied about you."

The original speaker nodded to Starscream. "Without our anger, we saw how things really were. When we were sent into the Valley, we saw some fliers playing with Predacons. We tried a bit to convince the other clones we saw, but we couldn't do it without revealing the Predacon farming and getting _ourselves_ used for parts. They hate your kind so passionately; they don't care about anything they see."

"How many clones are there?" Starscream asked.

"I don't know how many there are now," he said. "But they always advertised that 'When the time comes, the army of thousands will strike'. I guess that's how many Predacons there might eventually be, unless that number includes other one-eyes. Though I haven't seen so many on the surface. They might be waiting around is all, somewhere else underground. We just have the task that lets us go up into the world, so I suppose we're just lucky."

 _Thousands?_

The Decepticons would never have made so many. But now that Cybertron was rich with resources, it could be possible.

Starscream never got to ask about the vehicons before Jetfire was heard returning at maximum speed. The Sky Commander then skidded in and yelled, "Moonwing! There are eight Predacons attacking civilians in Kaon's shopping center! Your lieutenant is about to engage them as we speak!"

Starscream jumped, but despite his horror, his mind clicked into action. He called for Sunchaser, then tore off down the tunnel. Predaking bowled though after them, transforming and running as fast as he could. When Starscream realized they could use his help, he slowed down so that Predaking could keep up.

Once he reached the bottom of the tunnel, Starscream made it through to Aceflight. "What is the situation? Who is with you?"

He heard the roar of Aceflight's speeding engine and beastly screeches that were rapidly approaching. Multiple pings of blasters were heard firing around Aceflight and likely from him as they spoke. The snarls were growing closer, as Aceflight was about to crash into the chaos.

"Twilight, Cloudtips, Sandstorm, and Barrel Roll!" he called back. "Eight Predacons, slaughtering civilians!"

Sandstorm and Barrel Roll had not been trained like the others. They had never practiced like Starscream's team, and they were nowhere near as agile on the ground. Starscream immediately connected to the commlinks of all the Valley Seekers, calling for the rest of his first group.

"Charred Mist! Comet! Soft Breeze!"

They would all have to request emergency groundbridges to the coordinates of the attack. Starscream did this, but Predaking was the first to throw himself through the portal that opened up before them. They dropped into a battleground loud and bloody, where everything was torn and bots ran to and fro among blasts and screeches. The Seekers already there were trying to coordinate attacks, but were hindered by the head-on charges of the Wrecker military and police.

All eight Predacons continuously knocked the armies back with wings and tail swipes and blasts of fire, but none of the Predacons lost focus on inflicting maximum casualties. For the area was still crowded with fleeing civilians, who were crashing into police officers in their desperation to escape. All of the civilians were scorched, clawed, and terrified. The outdoor shopping center of Kaon could be considered as one of the most crowded areas of Cybertron at this time, thus the result of the attack was devastating.

Trapped with the Predacons, the civilians gave in to a helpless panic where they did not even attempt to bear their weapons. They squeezed into the streets, some vehicles foolishly knocking others over and still failing to speed away. The Predacons were savage and unpredictable, bowling and slashing at every target. And they were expanding their ring of maimed bodies, charging outwards, grabbing more bodies in their teeth, then snapping and hurling them behind them. Some were wounded and twitching, not properly slaughtered as the Predacons eagerly rushed to attack as many as possible. There were already more than fifty lying sprawled behind the advancing Predacons, and no one could push them away from the crowd. They continued to yank back the smallest individuals, catching them between their fangs and shaking them viciously.

Predaking shrieked in fury and landed onto one of the Predacons assaulting the fleeing backs of the civilians. Biting down on its nape, Predaking clawed its hide and crushed the Predacon with his weight. With a screech however, the Predacon toppled unexpectedly over, bringing them both rolling into the mass of bots. Afraid to injure them, Predaking detached himself and stumbled into the ring.

No one had made sense out of what had happened. And confused and terrified at the sight of the largest Predacon of all, all the police officers began to concentrate their fire on Predaking.

Starscream had been distracted for the moment, gathering Comet, Soft Breeze, and Charred Mist to aid Aceflight's group. He was just trying to figure out how to pull back the other forces when he noticed the Wreckers already retreating. At last, they had begun to organize themselves, but then Starscream noticed Ultra Magnus directing them towards Predaking on the ground.

Then, he heard Bumblebee's voice crying out, "Stop! He is on our side!"

The police at least, heard him. But Starscream assumed Predaking would manage, thus he focused on his own troops. Many had said one Seeker would be helpless against one Predacon, but Starscream's young team dropped onto the Predacons, some alone. They were afraid, but they did not hesitant in striking weak points before the Predacons had realized they were there.

Charred Mist bared his cat-like claws and stabbed both into the eyes of one Predacon, as he had the last time. Sunchaser was swinging around one Predacon's long neck, but by then, Starscream had fallen onto the back on his own target: a Predacon who had jammed his head into a building and was dragging out a screaming bot by the leg.

Copying Charred Mist's tactic, Starscream unsheathed his claws and swung them into the Predacon's eyes as he fell. There was a shattering sound like glass, then inner tubes were caught on his fingers. The Predacon roared and danced away, Starscream dangling, stuck for a moment on its face. Its forelegs crossed before it collapsed and transformed, then Starscream rolled and skidded to his feet as the Predacon charged him in bot-form.

He realized then what he was doing as the Predacon bore down on him. The creature he was attempting to fight on his own was even stronger than Megatron. Starscream flung himself to the side before he was swiped by claws, his spark pulsing wildly. If the Predacon caught him, he would kill him. The weight of his feet struck the ground like thunder as the Predacon aimed to catch the sliding Seeker. Hot with fear, Starscream shot blasts at his joints, but it was more difficult now that he was in bot form. Armour had come up over his elbows and knees, and the Predacon charged on as though he felt no pain.

But as he swiped and Starscream constantly dove out of the way, he grew more confident. The same effect was coming to the other Seekers who were fighting alone. The Predacons were stronger than them, but the Seekers knew they were faster and more agile. Starscream retracted his blasters and freed his claws again, then he caught onto a swinging arm, launching up and slashing for the throat.

The Predacon was startled when his prey rounded on him, and he desperately tried to cover the tubes of his neck. Starscream managed to nick one before being hurled away, seeing a splurt of energon splatter the Predacon's shoulder. His aggressor bellowed and stumbled for a second. Starscream swiftly glanced around himself for something of use in his surroundings, but then he saw Predaking hissing alone as blasters pelted into him. A storming force of Wreckers had not decided to cease their assault, and now a grand amount of them came to beat Predaking with all that they were worth.

The Predacon lunged, and Starscream's concern had slowed his reaction. A fist clipped his head and he flew back, crashing into the ripped wall of a cloth store. He heard the footsteps pounding towards him, then Starscream snatched the thing that glinted beside him. He stumbled onto his feet, raising the heavy shard of a metal beam like a sword into his hands.

It was so clean and brightly white that the Predacon was blinded for a moment. Knee struck with a painful clack, the Predacon tripped without hardly knowing what had happened. But he saw Starscream, small and falling back as well. Eager, the Predacon let himself fall, expecting to land onto the Seeker and finally strike a fatal blow.

Starscream flung up the tip of the beam. There was no gag as the Predacon's throat hit jagged tip and was impaled. As the body slid down the beam, Starscream rolled away and looked back to Predaking. The police had at least organized themselves well enough to surround another Predacon and bring it down smoldering to the ground. But the Wreckers had not believed in Predaking's innocence. No, the Wrecker's had only seen Predaking unexpectedly roll into the battle in his illegal beast-form, growling with energon gleaming on his fangs.

Someone threw a shock bomb at him before Comet blocked the view, leading a Predacon away from civilians. At some point, Charred Mist had incapacitated his Predacon and was sprinting to aid his friend. Starscream snapped his head quickly to the Seekers, but all were managing without him. Winged blurs zipped and skidded around Predacon legs, taking advantage of the reduced amount of Wrecker interference. Starscream's team used the dodging tactics they had practiced, and as some distracted them, the other Seekers stabbed and blasted their weak points.

The fight was turning considerably in their favour, but Starscream felt a jolt of panic. A crooked screech had emerged from Predaking, and it was the first screech of pain he had ever heard from him before. He had never imagined anything could hurt him; the sound was chilling from its very existence. Predaking was overwhelmed by heavy bodies, bludgeoning, firing, and grabbing him. The wings he had tried to spread had been stamped to the ground, joints bent and under assault. His tail too had tried to knock them away, but it had been held down and also pounded into stillness.

Starscream flew across the way and fell skidding in front of Ultra Magnus. He halted in front of his blaster, hollering, "Call them off! He came with me to help fight!"

For that moment, Starscream was worried that Ultra Magnus would refuse to listen to him. His face had been frozen in cold seriousness, but then his eyebrows lifted as he heard him.

Ultra Magnus boomed over the ruckus, "Stop! Release Predaking!"

They managed to hear him since so many of the other Predacons had been quieted and many screaming civilians had made it to safety. All of the Wrecker army backed off, even those who had been trying to help the Seekers, so startled they had been by the command.

Bots slid off Predaking, backing away in confusion. Predaking's wings slowly folded in, gingerly from the holes and burns within them. His head had been tucked in to protect his eyes, and as he lay, he raised his head now and blinked. Other than that, he could barely move. His joints had been brutalized by the collective force of over twenty Wreckers, and energon was leaking from his plentiful dents.

Starscream looked back when a Predacon let out an abrupt screech. Another Predacon fell dead, a piece of rubble stabbed into its neck by Soft Breeze. The normally gentle, grey Seeker had intelligently guessed where its bot head would be, and he had stabbed it through the Predacon's armour.

It appeared that three of the eight Predacons were dead, three were unconscious, and the last two were failing to hold off the collaboration of police officers and Seekers. Predaking closed his eyes, keeping still and hissing softly in pain. He had managed to take more abuse than the other Predacons, his strong will keeping him conscious. But he was in a terrible condition and needed medical attention before he could move himself.

"What happened here?" Ultra Magnus asked Starscream.

"I don't know," Starscream breathed. "We just discovered a base underground and raided it… We were met by six Predacon clones there, but we detained them. Once we caught a signal, we heard about this."

Starscream fretted by Predaking, but he checked that the others had cuffed the last Predacons before he gave clearance for paramedics to enter the battleground. And what a swarm of them came in, like an army themselves. This is what it must have looked like when White Dragon had attacked Iaconians, but now, there had been eight Predacons with one plan in mind: slaughter as many as possible. It was a carnage with dozens dead, perhaps fifty or more injured that remained in sight. Elsewhere, frightened bots would be limping away with their injuries. And there was no telling how many would die later in hospitals.

There were still screams in the distance. Starscream imagined how quickly this terror would spread across Cybertron. For the moment, he snagged some of the paramedics looking for someone to treat, pushing them to Predaking.

"Help him. He is our ally."

They looked doubtful, but continued their work as medics. Opening their field kits, they began to treat him on the spot as other bots were carried through groundbridges to hospitals.

Lieutenant Aceflight scrambled up to Starscream. "What happened?"

Everyone thought he would know. So Starscream murmured, "I assume that this was a distraction. They finally sent out a direct strike, so that what we found in the base won't matter. No… Now, all of Cybertron will only be thinking of this."

"We're in trouble then," Aceflight said. "Our Predacons are going to get blamed for this."

For Aceflight too recognized not a single one of these Predacons. They were all clones.

"I believe that was the point," Starscream answered. "This was a show of violence, and…"

It completely ruined everything he had worked for. His popularity gained from the air show would crash back onto him as the approximate one million citizens of Cybertron demanded answers from the Air Commander of Predacon Valley. Starscream already knew that no one was going to listen to him, for there were too many dead and injured here. Everyone was going to scream that Predacons were violent, dangerous creatures, and Starscream had no proof that they weren't.

And the press was already around, sneaking into the quieted battleground. Camera drones zipped into the area, and Starscream realized they were focusing on Predaking.

This looked bad. Starscream hurried to Predaking's still face, kneeling beside him and putting a hand over his head. One yellow eye creaked open, confused by why Starscream was touching him. But he had to establish that had been on the same side, as Predaking lay like the other Predacons on the ground.

 _He didn't do this_ , he tried to say with his optics. _He helped us._

Regardless, Starscream had the feeling that this too would not be enough. Blame upon Predaking was coming, whether or not they thought he had tried to attack other Cybertronians. They would probably say that he was responsible for the actions of any Predacon, being the race's leader.

"Where do we put them, Sir?" one soldier saluted Ultra Magnus behind Starscream.

Ultra Magnus left Predaking's side, but then Bumblebee came.

"Thanks for the help," he told Starscream. "We really needed your team here. So many more would have been killed without them."

Starscream muttered, "This organization has too much power. We couldn't stop them in time from getting what they wanted."

"We weren't trained for this," Bumblebee sighed. "We need better weapons, and we need to train like you."

"We have been practicing with Predacons," Starscream replied. "And I would suggest allowing Predacons to volunteer to train with you, but after today… There will be consequences for the innocent residents of my district. Where is Optimus?"

"He is off planet." Bumblebee frowned. "He had a meeting with Windblade and the Council of Devisiun… They must have chosen today to attack because of their absence."

Starscream's eyes flew open.

"I was led astray. I was in a deadzone with Jetfire when the attack commenced… They sought to weaken the Air Command's response!"

He let out an exhale. What to do? He needed information fast about the organization before they struck again, and he needed something to prove that Predaking's Predacons were not directly connected.

 _There is a traitor at Airachnid's facility that needs to be found. These Predacons need to be interrogated. And there is something else in the blood samples that needs to be tested. This is what we have right now._

Jetfire would be preparing the interrogations. But someone needed to search for the traitor who stole Airachnid's diseased sample of energon.

"Bumblebee," he said. "Can you set up an investigation?"

He explained everything he had discovered with the vehicon bodies. Yes, this wasn't just about the Predacon clones, but there was something else underdevelopment. There were Forged and Decepticons collaborating on a destructive project to eradicate life on Cybertron.

"We have to go," Starscream told Bumblebee. "Things are going to happen fast. We need to return to the Valley."

"Understood. We'll take it from here."

Starscream didn't want to leave Predaking as he was, but they needed to teleport back to the northern hemisphere to deal with the aftermath. Bipedal Cybertronians worldwide were going to lash out, and the Predacons were going to feel unjustly harassed. There had already been tenseness between the races, but something like this could lead to battle.

Indeed, once they made it back, they were greeted by complaints. A few Predacons bore marks of blasters, some small cuts, and gasped out that they had been attacked at work once coworkers heard the news. But the situation grew worse as Airglow and Daybreak, the two Seekers who had been left behind, reported that they were struggling to hold back a crowd at the warp station. A collection of reporters and furious bots had come, but the Seekers were refusing to let them in.

He directed all his Seekers into patrols. The borders needed to be guarded, the teachers gathered, and the public calmed.

"We are closing the borders," Starscream decided. "All Predacons need to return here before they are harmed. No one leaves and no outsiders enter."

The nearby Predacons jabbered in protest, but Sunchaser's support of Starscream's decision quieted them. Sunchaser would help spread the word so that the Predacons would call their friends back to the Valley.

"Everyone else is going crazy," Sunchaser said. "We're going to protect you until they calm down."

It was important that the Predacons know they were in the right and that the Seekers were on their side. He told Aceflight to spread this idea as he took a group to the warpstation.

It was teeming with bots, some blazing with fury and others ready with cameras and drones. Currently, Daybreak was threatening to shoot down any drone that made a break for the city. No one was tearing toward the cliff trail either for the Seekers had been making threats to arrest them. But Starscream needed to arrive before they collectively realized that two Seekers couldn't arrest them all, and barge through them anyway.

At least his popularity had gained Starscream one new power: when he landed, everyone shut up and looked worried. His authority and skill penetrated their minds, and they listened.

"All of you, leave the Valley! The district is closed to outsiders. If you are not gone within a quarter joor, we will arrest you. And we will arrest all trespassers who dare return here until the borders reopen!"

The Seekers shoved them into a line and forced them to pay for their teleportation back. Everyone was crammed through before Starscream had the portal heavily guarded. They needed to let the Predacons return before they would turn off the machine altogether.

Charred Mist stammered, "Will Predaking be alright with us closing the district?"

"When he returns, I will make him understand," Starscream said. "This district was always meant to be a refuge for Predacons, and now they need to be here more than ever."

More fights would only break out if the indignant Predacons stayed and argued with bipeds. Starscream knew that separation would not be a long-term solution, but it was what they needed now.

Predacons would start returning one-by-one, but Starscream was already heading to his next task. Someone had betrayed him, and it might have been the Predacon who had gotten them the blood sample.

"Sunchaser," he called him. "I must apprehend your friend, Whiskers. There is a chance that he might have been the one who led us underground today. Assist me in finding him."

Starscream stopped to gather a pair of handcuffs. Oh, how many of these he had been seeing lately. He knew Jetfire was busy with interrogations now, dealing with fourteen Predacons about to be made fifteen. And would any of them reveal anything they didn't already know? Perhaps, but Starscream feared the crucial details wouldn't come up: the leaders, the main base or bases… They would only learn how ruthless the organization was.

They tracked down the Predacon, the longest in the Valley that was a wingless, draconic type. He was red and frilled around the face with a sweeping body that another Predacon must have had on Earth to inspire the concept of Chinese dragons. Starscream had seen him before, always surprised by how his neck, middle, and tail folded out to a length of five times himself.

Whiskers was coiled on himself, sitting and watching one of the news screens with his namesake twin whiskers twitching. It was the first time Starscream saw the report, and he saw that clips from security cameras had been amassed. The successful half of the fight was being shown and commented on in a strange, sports-like hype. The camera focused on individual Seekers zipping and dodging, and the reporters hooted as though they were still watching the air show. Even when Seekers, when Starscream himself, killed Predacons on screen, they cheered.

The Predacons watching now were curled back. For so long, they had believed Seekers were too weak to fight them. It seemed that after Redwing died, no Seeker could face a Predacon on their own. Then, they had hated the missiles as though they were cowardly weapons. But now, they saw savage might wrapped up into the tiny bodies. Clever and fast, uncatchable, the Seekers darted around taking down their kind as Predaking was assaulted in the background.

It was confusing and frightening to the young Predacons. When they saw Starscream approaching, even with Sunchaser, they leaned back. A change was coming, and Starscream was struck with worry. He realized now that the point of his air show had been destroyed so easily by the organization. He had tried to appear amicable, as a fair and considerate leader. But now, the organization had easily vilified them, and were milking Starscream's popularity to do it.

 _Did they let us do the show to make us fall harder?_

It was more difficult now to mutter, "Whiskers. Come with us."

He did not want to be the villain. But he realized that what was beginning to happen would be hard to reverse. Starscream had killed a Predacon, he had been seen with those who had hurt their leader, Starscream had closed the border, and now he was arresting a seemingly innocent Predacon.

Whiskers' yellow eyes flared open in surprise and fear. The other Predacon gaped, and some transformed to speak.

"Him? Why him?

"What did he do?"

"Whiskers didn't do anything!"

Sunchaser pleaded, "I trust Whiskers with all of my spark, but someone betrayed Commander Moonwing today. We'll bring him back soon after making sure."

Then, to Starscream's surprise, they narrowed their eyes at the kindest Seeker of all. For they had seen Sunchaser on the television as well, there when Predaking was injured. Though they had always loved to play with the Seeker, Sunchaser's vicious attacks today had been no game. Even if the Predacons hated the actions of the other Predacons, they could not help but feel kinship to them. Did the serious gleams in the Seeker's eyes reveal hatred of their race? They were unsure, but they still felt betrayed by Sunchaser.

Turning off all the public televisions would only worsen the reaction. Starscream knew they were going to see what had happened no matter what, and banning the news would be a mistake.

Whiskers transformed, compressing in until he was only twice as tall as Starscream.

"Alright," he whispered. "Just do it."

"If you are innocent," Starscream murmured, trying to keep his tone gentle, "we will take you home right away."

Someone protested, "Of course he's innocent!"

Starscream couldn't argue without making it clear that he did have some doubt about Whiskers. He just carefully cuffed the Predacon's arms behind his back, taking him in to Tarn and returning quickly after. It had only taken a minute, but the city he came back to was growing agitated. First, they had been alright with Starscream's command to close the district. But now, after seeing the footage released, worried and betrayed glances were hurled their way.

"What should we do with the teachers?" Barrel Roll asked.

Starscream met the veteran Autobot at the school with two other Seekers. Classes had been interrupted due to the morning pandemonium, and now the teachers stood outside together while their students anxiously padded around at a distance. Carnation was among them, and for once his pose lacked calm. He understood the misery and fear in the air, and looked directly at Starscream for something to be done.

Should he send them away? No, looking at them and the anxious students, Starscream knew that the teachers cared too much about Predacons to hate them. These bipeds were not furious and dangerous, but were open-minded enough to know the clones had been a separate evil.

"You may stay," he told them. "I want the schools to operate as normal. Of course, I understand that closing the portal will disrupt your commute..."

He glanced to the vehicon.

"If you would like, I'm sure we can set up temporary, free housing for you."

Everyone sagged in relief. If life could go on as normal, then the district would not feel like a prison. Starscream decided they needed this reassurance to fix his status among the citizens. And he needed to act fast before rumors and ill feelings spread.

He was back on stage in the city centre. It was insane to imagine that hours ago, he had just been standing here to announce his plans and Aceflight's promotion. Predaking and him had seemed like allies that would work to a successful future. Now, Starscream had to defend himself and explain who had wounded their leader.

They started to understand this, but redirected their anger to the ground military. They growled out Ultra Magnus's name, and Barrel Roll hopped up to Starscream to murmur, "I know Ultra Magnus never liked Predaking. Do you think he did it on purpose?"

Starscream had heard the story. But he proclaimed, "Ultra Magnus did not attack Predaking for revenge. He has long since had his hand replaced with a better prosthetic, and as an intelligent commander, Ultra Magnus has moved on from the past to focus on the good of Cybertron. He has worked _peacefully_ with Predaking several times, like Optimus and the others who have once fought him. Today, Predaking was mistakenly attacked. Ultra Magnus will regret his decision and apologize for it."

He hoped.

"And Predaking will understand and assure you of this himself."

He hoped, for peace depended on it.

They began to accept these words and settle down. Thankfully, they remembered Starscream's earlier kindness enough to trust him again.

"As for employment, I will ask for all of you to be reassigned to work here as you once were. Do you recall how swiftly you finished the last grand building projects in the city? We can take the time to remain in safety and develop the Valley again. While the others calm down, we will work on the new facilities I promised. You will be paid, protected from outsiders, and you will receive your spa faster than anticipated."

There was the commander they loved. Tails stopped swishing, and shoulders dropped. A series of nods began as they found all their needs taken care of. Of course, Starscream was going to have to work double-time to get this done. He needed Bulkhead to agree and also rush to fulfill Starscream's promises. Starscream's Seekers were also going to have to work overtime to protect the borders, and he wasn't going to bring in any vengeful Vos Seekers to help. Then, he needed more money to pay for all this. That meant he would have to ask the rest of the High Council for it: Arcee, Windblade, and Jazz. Without a doubt, Optimus was going to want to isolate him and talk to him about everything once he got back to Cybertron.

And at some point, Starscream would go to Jetfire and hear about the interrogations. He would hear from Bumblebee about Airachnid. Someone would tell him what the secondary ingredient in the vehicon blood was. Then, if anything came up- Starscream was going to have to tear off again to hunt the organization.

His hand touched his face, fingertips pressing in. Oh, he had so, so much to do. And after his show, the race to find the vehicons, the fight- Starscream was exhausted. How would he rest his damaged body now with all these things to do? And these tasks did not even include keeping up with surveillance and watching out for himself. Still, someone might come for him and attack him. Furthermore, Starscream had to make sure White Dragon didn't use this conflict to give herself power over the Predacons while their leader was recovering.

 _Couldn't I just arrest her?_ he wondered. Would it help, or damage his public opinion like Predaking's injury had? He decided if the fifteen captured Predacons did not reveal enough, then he would have to arrest her for information. First, he would just need to calm the population before making such a big move.

Everything has so complicated, hurting his head and weighing down on his shoulders. He almost wanted to cry out from his stress. Again, he felt that tinge of want for someone else to take over. But no Optimus or Megatron would have been able to fix this. It had to be Starscream, with the connection to the Predacons, the popularity, and the rank he had earned. Even if he just wanted to hide in the background, no one was coming to take over.

 _I cannot give up_ , he told himself. _I don't need anyone. Come on! I am finally the leader I have always wanted to be: respected and important. I have to deal with the worst of the worst. And I am organized, intelligent, and skilled. I used my wits and won against a Predacon today! How can I give in? Anyone else wouldn't know where to begin, but I already know what needs to be done. I must stay strong. I_ am _strong._

Starscream had already called off the gathering. He stalked off and twitched his wings, wondering where Bulkhead would be right now. For that, he would have to call him on his cell the old fashioned way.

Every time Bulkhead found himself reading his messages or hearing that voice of his, it always came as a surprise. Over a call, Bulkhead always greeted him with the same hesitation, still incredulous that it was Starscream wanting to speak with him.

"Uhh, hello?"

Then the former Decepticon lieutenant said to him, "I need you to do me a huge favor..."

Starscream's voice was still gentler, lacking the sinister drawl of his past. He was still polite and kind after being raised by Optimus, despite recovering many of his memories. Bulkhead immediately softened up to him, and he listened to his plea.


	30. Chapter 29: Now, Fall

Starscream hurt everywhere. His body screamed with every step to lie down, and that stinging in his T-cog had returned. But Starscream hurried here and there, hearing from the other leaders. He absorbed information, but did not know what to do with it. None of the interrogated knew who the real leaders were or where they were commanding from.

The six Predacons of the base had been compliant, explaining with grief that they had been made to kill one of the vehicons. The other eight were savage and vengeful, just as the other Predacons had said they would be. They hissed that they would take over Cybertron with their army of thousands, forcing the bipeds to hide and fear them.

Then, it was discovered that the organization had put drops of red energon into the blood samples. Starscream immediately recognized the genius of it. Red energon was incredibly sweet, and those who tasted it would believe that sweetness came from bot blood. With each sample, the red energon would be reduced, but the Predacons would imagine that same rush they got from the first dose.

Finally, Whiskers was found to be innocent. So then, the double-agent had merely been obvious and used. Starscream led the Predacon home, but Whiskers nervously admitted to him, "I accidentally swallowed some of it… and…"

"If you liked the taste, it is not your fault. They put red energon in there."

"Oh, thank Primus," Whiskers breathed.

Though Starscream could not help but wonder to himself, how blood would taste to Predacons without red energon in it. Starscream had coughed up his own blood before, and it had tasted sharply metallic, different to processed energon. He wondered if the flavour be appealing to them somehow, though he said nothing now that would shame Whiskers. After all, Carnation had talked about how sensitive Predacons could be about it, secretly hating themselves.

One of the scientists at Airachnid's facility, however, was found to be guilty. The Autobot had fled before he could be interrogated and had disappeared off the map. It was puzzling that another Autobot seemed to have suddenly joined the organization, and no one could find out why such an honourable bot had stolen energon for the enemy.

Predaking had been returned by the time Whiskers was brought home, but he was in terrible shape. A doctor had walked him to his house, and Predaking managed it with slow, aching steps. Once he arrived to his berth, he curled up there and simply slept.

In all honesty, Starscream was astonished that Predaking could even move. That just showed how strong he was, suffering a hundred blows that would have killed Starscream. But now, Predaking was too hurt to transform. If he compressed himself, his dents and scrapes would grind against each other. His wings also needed to stay as they were, so that the rips and joints were relaxed and could heal.

The doctor at least, was a sensible one who was focused on his patient and not distracted by his race. Predaking could not talk, but the doctor advised him, "Do not push yourself. Recharge and move only to get a drink. But if it hurts too much to walk, stay here. Have someone else bring you energon. I will keep checking up on you, and I will decide when you can transform again, alright? Don't even think about trying. If you really want to say something, get some paint and a slate to write it down."

Predaking grumbled wearily, and Starscream could tell he was displeased with the entire concept of being injured. Though Starscream thanked the doctor and had someone escort him out of the district. He then stayed with Predaking, sitting beside him and explaining everything that had happened. He might not have known, back there in Kaon, about what was happening in the district. When he heard that the Seekers had closed it, Predaking closed his eyes and made an agreeing sound.

"Although it is so difficult to be in charge of them, without coming across as oppressive," Starscream murmured. "They want a Predacon leader, and I need your support."

Predaking had his head over his foreleg, eyes half-closed. Starscream wished it were easier to tell what he was thinking, but at times it was hard to remember that this beast was the same smaller bot with a regal voice. It seemed that Predaking was still bothered about all the death and injuries in Kaon, if Starscream had to guess. Forty-two had been killed and seventy-nine wounded badly. Not only that, but Predaking had been associated with the killers.

Starscream was about to leave Predaking, when an idea struck him. As Predaking listened, Starscream called Jetfire to say, "Jetfire, I have another plan."

"Excellent. What is it?"

"I think they made a mistake we can take advantage of. They allowed us to find the bodies of the vehicons and thought that the Predacons would not give us important information. But, they knew about the Predacon farming. If we reveal a video of that one Predacon's memory, that may cause Predacons to feel betrayed like those six."

"Which would cause them to lose the bulk of their army…" Jetfire said. "I understand. We will begin trimming the video. Would you like to deliver a message with it? It would be best since there is so much pressure on you to provide an answer."

"Alright."

"I will notify you when we are done. Now, try to get some rest."

But Starscream had other plans. He wanted to arrest White Dragon and see if the ancient Predacon would yield information. He first searched for her with some cuffs, hoping for the element of surprise. Yet when she could not be found, he had to ask for help in tracking her life signal. Then, he was told that no signal could be found.

This only stirred Starscream's suspicion more. She just had to be connected to the organization. She must have known he would come to her after they had run out of fresh information, and fled.

 _She must have had valuable information!_

At least he still had his plan to remind him that not all hope was lost. Starscream went back to Predaking and told him everything. His face appeared worried after hearing that White Dragon's life signal had disappeared. Starscream lost a bit of patience, hissing, "It is not because she is offline. She is fine, that wretch, safe in the hold of the enemy. I _told_ you that she cannot be trusted."

Predaking shook his head. Starscream had misunderstood him, thinking that he was attached to the ancient Predacon. He was not beguiled by her stories of the past anymore, and he agreed with Starscream that she had ill intentions.

Predaking hoped that Starscream would settle down, but he was restless. Worse, Starscream had a limp that he himself had not noticed. It was from all of the physical activity he had been doing lately; his damaged body needed rest to heal.

" _You cannot do anything now_ ," Predaking tried to growl to him.

"What?" Starscream thought he had a sense of what he meant, but he was not sure.

Predaking tried to voice, " _You are hurting yourself. You have to rest, especially because of your poor health. You have some time now_."

Starscream understood that he was concerned about something, but he was not aware that Predaking was focusing on him.

"Yes, yes, the recent events have been dire. But we will break the organization from the inside with our next move."

Before Starscream could stalk off again, Predaking hooked his claws around him and dragged him down. Since his back had been turned, Starscream yipped.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

Predaking tried to reassure him with his face, but it was extremely difficult to do with his permanent fangs. So he just held him carefully, keeping the edges of his claws from pressing in, and he lay down his head as though going to sleep.

Starscream seemed to understand the point then. He muttered, "I can't stay here. I am needed elsewhere."

Starscream tried to pull himself up, and while Predaking did not want to scratch him, he tightened his grip.

"Release me. I want to check the borders. With so few of us, they will need extra optics, especially at night."

His spiking fatigue made him irritated, more so as Predaking still would not let him go. Starscream did not want to overreact and shoot him just to escape his caring. He simply glared as Predaking began to cover him with the chains of his nest.

"You cannot just force me to recharge," Starscream complained.

Predaking lay down his head. Starscream grew more frustrated, but he was too weary to struggle. It was just a game of waiting, which did not last long. In under a minute, Starscream had fallen asleep, and only then did Predaking release him.

The house was silent suddenly. Predaking still felt guilt about the time he had stressed Starscream into hospitalization. It had been disquieting to watch Starscream push his body, so it was soothing to have him relaxed at last. He began to sleep beside Starscream, but both were alarmed by a sudden commlink.

"Where are you, mate?"

"Jetfire?" Starscream sat up, trying to strip away the grogginess.

"Ehh? Do you have such an informal relationship with Jetfire, chief?"

"Ah, Aceflight. Sorry, I was expecting a call."

"Oops," his lieutenant chittered. "I was just checking on you is all. Everything's fine as fine can be. Where are you? Were you snoozing? You sound half-drunk."

He felt even more exhausted to have been woken immediately after sleeping. Starscream murmured, "Just until Jetfire calls for me."

"Alright, no problem."

Aceflight cut off the call, and Starscream flopped back down beside Predaking. He was dead asleep by the time he hit the chains, retreating into a peaceful dream despite the recent atrocities committed on this world. Starscream swam into an ancient memory, and he saw the world again as it had been when he had been forged.

He remembered being so young and ignorant, energetic and wanting to fly everywhere at once. There were flashes of his school, where he had been gathered with other fliers just like him. The dream was of their free time and the games they played, when they rushed out into the day and chased each other in the sky. Starscream felt the warmth and wind in his spark as he played over and over with the faces he could not remember. He did not wonder if they were dead, since this dream felt so real that he did not realize that it was one. In this swirl of combined memories, a yellow flier stood out as the best friend he vaguely remembered. He did not look like Sunchaser; rather, this yellow Seeker looked very much like Starscream in size, shape, and eye colour.

Yes, he remembered then that it had been a joke with this yellow flier. Starscream's first friend, an affectionate bot who followed him everywhere. And for the life of him, Starscream could not remember his name. He had forgotten after they were shoved off into military training, and Starscream proved to be an advanced soldier. Those Starscream had played with back then, they had faded into the background and left his life.

But now, he just wanted to stay in this loop forever. Feeling so innocent, with only love and no pain or responsibilities. The yellow flier sped away, and Starscream chased him through the clouds. He swept up then swooped down upon him, transforming to latch onto his wings. Once caught, the yellow flier transformed and faced him. They fell, laughing together for a few moments until the smile of the other flier faded into a frown.

"I am going to miss you, Star." The noise of the wind disappeared as he whispered. "But I am glad we found each other again. And even for a short time… your caring meant everything to me. Will you wait for me? I cannot imagine any life without you."

"What?" Starscream murmured.

"I have to go," the yellow flier whispered. "I just wanted to say goodbye. But I am…. dead now. I am sorry, Star. Please don't grieve."

This dream turned confusing and frightening. The fun had been soiled, and Starscream felt his veins grow cold.

Starscream stammered, "Wh-"

Then, a talon shook him awake. Starscream yelped and saw his own body jerking, clenching painfully as he overheated and ventilated. He felt lubrication poured over his face and joints, but he did not understand why he had been crying so hard. Most of the dream itself had been so enjoyable. Did he cry for that peace that he longed to have, or was it the haunting words that he had dreamt of? Why did he even think of such an awful thing?

Predaking was staring at him as he sat up and tried to calm down. He trilled inquisitively for an explanation, but Starscream shook his head. He could not explain why his spark throbbed, or how that dream had felt so real. He rose to his feet, looking to clean himself off. He managed to find a rag and hoped Predaking wouldn't mind if he used it to wipe away the golden smears. Predaking already didn't mind it when Starscream walked freely around his entire home.

 _Why did that feel so real?_ Starscream shook. _Was that really… whoever that was? A friend from my youth? But… I thought sparks merged in the Allspark. How long has he been dead?_

The rag fell onto a counter, slipping through an unsteady grasp.

 _Hold on. He said he had to go. He had died… Just died! Before he joined the Allspark, he came to me… but why? Who was that? Did the organization just kill someone from my distant past?_

Starscream folded the rag and left it. Something about an old friend dying sorrowed him, but he did not know what to do. He could not find a body nor could he save a spark from disappearing into the Allspark. All he could do was stare at his feet and go philosophical, thinking of how that yellow flier would fade into nothing, all his emotions and memories dissolving into the Allspark.

"If I die, that too will be my fate," Starscream murmured.

He thought about how deep he was in opposition to the organization. He had faced many Predacons lately, and he had fought one by himself. This visit by the dead flier chilled him, making him believe that perhaps he had been lucky all this time.

 _I don't want to die_.

He had never wanted to die. During the War, he would lie, kill, and beg just out of his stark fear of death.

As he thought of the dream's meaning, Jetfire called him.

"Ready when you are," he told Starscream.

"I'm coming," he murmured back in a feathery voice.

Jetfire paused. Then, restarted, "Are you alright?"

He cared enough to notice that he was off. Starscream felt his throat clutching, but his spark warmed a bit from Jetfire's worry.

"Send me a portal," Starscream replied. "Let's get this done as soon as possible."

"Hold on," Jetfire said. "You know, you don't have to do this. I have Optimus here with me, and it would be good if he did it too."

"Oh, ah…"

"Go ahead and rest. Take it easy, alright?"

Starscream sighed, but he was a bit relieved that he didn't have to do anything. He dragged himself back to the berth and fell, barely recognizing that there was a Predacon beside him. Though it was not long that he got to enjoy this rest as his phone went off. Since he had been dealing with important business lately, he had kept the volume on. His friends had known better than to call him, so Starscream expected the profile image of a figurehead now. But when Starscream rushed the phone into his hand, he was surprised to see the image of the black and silver vehicon, Valor.

Starscream's answered, but his voice was edged with suspicion. From all of the recent tricks, Starscream assumed that someone had stolen the vehicon's phone. He was already thinking that something had happened to Valor.

"Yes?" Starscream said.

It truly was the voice of the singing vehicon, but its smoothness was choppy with whining stress.

"Moonwing," he choked. "I need to see you. I need you."

"What is it? Has something happened?"

"Come to my house. Please… I need you… to..."

The vehicon made a fearful sound before hanging up. Starscream scrambled outside and jetted off, mind racing to figure out what was bothering his academy friend. Valor had never been one to show distress, despite living a life of discrimination. Was this an emergency? He did not know if it would warrant an emergency groundbridge. Starscream sped off to Valor's city, Kalis, and managed to arrive within the hour.

He found the door locked, where he had to knock to be let in. The vehicon was unscathed, but he snatched Starscream and pulled him in. The door was locked again, then they were alone. That was when the vehicon collapsed with a wail back onto his own couch. The calm friend he had known dug his head into his hands and gripped it between his fingers. He trembled and coughed out sobs, startling Starscream's wings up. He had never seen a vehicon express such emotion in all of his life, but it was more than shock, but concern, that struck Starscream.

"Valor?"

"M-Moonwing," the vehicon whispered. "I am one of them. Your enemy."

Starscream halted before he sat down beside him.

"So you are saying… _You_ are a part of that organization using the Predacons?"

Valor nodded while bending his body forward. But he whimpered, "I don't know where they are. Oh… I made a terrible mistake, Moonwing. I didn't know what they had done to the vehicons. I-I thought…"

The vehicon broke off into jerking shivers and moans.

So he had heard that the vehicons had been killed. Starscream stood his ground, but quietly pressed, "You knew when they were taken… You helped them kidnap the vehicons."

Valor cried out an agonized wail. Such sounds from the calm vehicon were unnatural, alarming, but they also pulled something in Starscream. It had been easy to imagine the enemy as heartless, but this vehicon and other Autobots must have been manipulated in a way to force them into their ranks.

"Why?" Starscream asked him.

"I-I-I just wanted t-to…" he gasped. "To protect my fr-iends."

"What did you think their intentions were?"

Valor tried to calm himself enough to answer, "I thought they would become like me. But… They fooled me into believing that. They only modified me… and I… led vehicons into traps one-by-one. I betrayed my brethren… I…"

The vehicon clutched his head again and mewled. Starscream stepped closer.

"Modified you how?" Starscream asked.

The jet vehicon looked up slowly. Then, the four wings of his back cracked into pieces, rods pulling out so far that Valor had to get off the couch to spread them. Gossamer and thin feathers spread, rosy in colour. Starscream stood nearly chest-to-chest with the vehicon whose four Predacon wings glowed under the ceiling light.

Valor stopped there, murmuring, "It is more than this, Moonwing. I am no longer just a vehicon… I am a monstrosity. I am a creature like a Predacon. A Neo-Forged soldier. I was selected because of my popularity among the vehicons. They offered to make vehicons stronger, and I… believed them. They approached me just before I met you…"

The vehicon's feathers stacked over themselves, the claws on his wings retreating with the rods, then all was encased into his jet wings. There was no telling on the surface that he was so compact, but Valor's body was heavier than Starscream knew.

 _Like a Predacon in disguise. That is what they are becoming. The Predacon farming… the shapeshifter in the mountains… This is the Forged, becoming the Neo-Forged, more powerful than they were before._

"Mint does not know," Valor choked. "We share everything, and yet… They told me not to tell anyone. Oh, but… You need to do something, Moonwing. Please! These bots knew about our club, and they attacked last night!"

Valor dropped back onto the couch and snatched a knee, hugging it and digging his face into it.

" _What_? Has this been reported?"

"I reported it," Valor whispered. "Because I was one of the few who escaped. The police are there…"

"Why did no one inform me?" Starscream cried.

He had simply been sleeping while far away, deep underground, dozens of vehicons had been attacked. He had even taken too much time coming here.

Valor moaned, "Oh, Moonwing. They took so many of us. They blocked the hall so that no one could teleport out. They stormed in and forced everyone through their portal. There was a fight, and… They took Steve, Moonwing! And Shiloh, he fought to protect us… he fought and… he didn't have a chance. There were too many. I think he is dead, M-Moon…"

" _What_?"

No. This couldn't have just happened without him there. His closest friends, just…

"No," Starscream breathed. "You cannot be serious. Steve, Shiloh…"

"You have to find them!" Valor wailed. "You have to hurry, or they will kill them! Steve… Frank, Aiko… Ki-Kildare…"

More and more names began to pour out, a panicked and mournful babble. Starscream yelped, "Don't you have any idea of where they might have been taken?"

"N-no," Valor whimpered. "No…"

"But I don't know where to find them! We have no more leads, only…"

Then, he remembered that one of his friends might not be waiting to be found.

"Where is Shiloh?" he gasped. "Are you certain he is dead? Is he alright?"

"I don't know," Valor mewled. "I saw h-him… get bitten by a Predacon. A real one and… they might have taken him, even if he died. Just to ea-e…"

The vehicon dropped forward.

"I was such a coward! I grabbed Mint and dove backstage. There is a small area back there where the deadzone ends. We teleported out with the few others who saw us run there. I didn't even shoot… I didn't even _try_ to fight back. Oh… I do not deserve this name I chose."

Starscream felt his legs quaking, and at some point, his wings had fallen right down.

"I will find them," he inhaled. "I have to. I… I will go, now!"

He needed to get to Shiloh before he died of his wounds, if he was still alive. He needed to find the vehicons before they were used as experiments or eaten. Starscream sprinted to the door, but when he opened it, an unfamiliar bot stood in his path.

There was a blaster already pointed at him. Starscream moved before the light of its charge came, where the heat of the blast singed his arm in passing. Valor cried out in surprise, reeling back as he realized this had been his fault. He had spilled a secret, and someone had been watching. An orange bot at the door charged through, followed by three others. All of them bore Decepticon symbols on their chests, and they were a ragged bunch of scarred criminals. They rounded the corner, pointing their blasters at Starscream and driving him into the corner. Within an instant, he knew that he would not be the faster draw.

He put up his hands and tried to appear non-threatening. By instinct, he wanted to talk them out of hurting him. It had worked with Shockwave and Megatron before, and other Decepticons who had been so close to killing him. But before he could began, one of them shot a blue beam that collided with his left thigh. Starscream shrieked and dropped, his body folding over a smoldering wound. The vehicon hollered, but there was a crash as a Decepticon snatched him and they collided into furniture. Picture frames toppled and glass figures shattered as Valor was pinned to the ground, blaster against his face.

In the next moment, someone fired at Starscream's right arm. Fire scorched his veins and he jerked into the next blast, one aimed at his largest right wing. The burning blast smelted the metal beside the joint, damaging sensitive wiring and dropping that wing. He hissed and gasped at the pulsing heat, but heard one of the Decepticons mutter, "Do I terminate the vehicon?"

"Not that one," the orange bot said. "We used too many resources on that one. I think we can find one more purpose for it."

The hands grabbed and yanked Starscream one way, another, then he was on his feet.

"Alright. And Starscream? Should we rough him up a bit more?"

"Aye, that'd be fun," another nodded earnestly.

"We're on a schedule," the small group leader growled. "Let's just get him to point B efficiently."

He folded his fingers into a fist, then swung it at Starscream's face.

Everything went black and silent.

* * *

When he came to, his thoughts collected slowly. Injuries burned and his head throbbed, and he was terribly confused to find himself back in Predaking's house. For a moment, he thought it had all been a dream, as though he had been sleeping with Predaking this whole time. But the pain said otherwise, and when Starscream tried to raise his arms, he found them cuffed behind his back.

He yelped as he began more conscious of the situation. Valor. The vehicons being stolen. The Neo-Forged, the Predacons, the Decepticons-

Starscream's legs, he found, were also cuffed together and chained to a decorate outcrop in the wall.

"Wh- _what_?"

He struggled against his binds, then squeaked in pain from his burns. He tossed his head from side-to-side, trying to figure out why he was here and where Predaking was. In his glance to the left, he saw a groundbridge portal, and to the right, Predaking lay in his nest with a white ghost overlooking him. The beastly form of Predaking twitched and swung, but he could hardly fight back White Dragon's rush and strength after being so injured. White Dragon retracted suddenly, then cast Starscream a smirk.

"If only I had the pleasure. But he will take it from me," she drawled. "Farewell, little Seeker."

She raced into the portal, and it closed behind her. Starscream swung his head back to Predaking, who had begun to convulse and pant.

"Predaking!" Starscream called. "What has she done?"

Predaking rose onto his feet, shaking his head and growling. At first, there seemed to be meaning in those growls, but then their tune began to change. His great head swung and banged off the wall, then he fixed Starscream with his yellow gaze.

A feeling of cold fear began to fill him.

"Release me." Starscream's voice faltered at the end. "Quickly."

Predaking's claws curled into the ground, scoring deep marks into the regular pattern of scratches already there. The tendrils of his face opened, closed, and his teeth shuffled. Then, a foreleg reached out, one step, another leg advanced, another step. Twitches crept across Predaking's face, and his growling grew louder, bubbling, about to burst into a screech. His tail lashed and crashed mindlessly into Predaking's own television on the wall. It shattered and smoked, but Predaking did not notice it just as he no longer noticed the pain in his body.

Starscream yanked against his binds as the Predacon rose over him.

"N-no! No! _No_!"

Predaking's jaws spread, fangs and tendrils spread as he dove at his helpless form. Then, Starscream's terror registered, and Predaking recoiled. For a moment, he noticed it was Starscream, and Predaking smashed his head purposefully against the wall. He hissed in pain then swung at the cuffs, severing all of them. Yet Predaking dared not stay. Growls growing more savage and desperate, he flung himself on a different path and stuck to it.

The Predacon crashed into his shelf of energon bottles, crunching into them and consuming both containers and energon. Metal screeched beneath his teeth and Predaking downed his collection of special beverages, energon with alcoholic content that he would never have taken too much of at a time. The energon burst into his mouth, over-energizing him for a few seconds, so that he could regain his mind.

Despite the extent of his injuries, Predaking transformed with a roar of pain. He stumbled into the wall, and glanced at Starscream.

"I...am...so...thirsty." He puffed out each word, barely able to hold himself. "Run. Energon… I need… Energon… I am so…"

Starscream scrambled to his feet and dove for the door. He almost dropped immediately because of the shot to his thigh, but he managed to stay upright until he had fallen outside at least. Starscream smacked into the ground in front of one confused Predacon, then in the next moment, the wall of the house exploded outwards as Predaking charged through in beast form. His eyes were wide and wild, never leaving Starscream's form.

With a screech, Starscream rolled to his feet again and fled. His hurt wing flopped lifelessly as he ran toward the fountain. Predaking was infected, burning through his energon stores at a rapid rate. If he could just show Predaking the gushing pool of energon, then he would be distracted. He would stop chasing Starscream, then-

Predaking bounded forward and reached Starscream's limping shape in seconds. From training and instinct, Starscream tossed himself to the side just as claws smashed down where he had just been. Though he tried to stand, his thigh froze his leg with fire. It dragged as he tried to hop to safety, but Predaking snapped his teeth into his good wing and yanked him back to him. The fangs punctured through, gaining a tight grip as Predaking plucked him clean off the ground.

He was left dangling in the air, kicking and shrieking. Starscream lashed out with his claws, slicing through metal and drawing blood, but it was as though Predaking felt nothing anymore. Another screech, like a raptor, rang out before the other Predacon darted at Predaking. The impact jostled Predaking, losing his hold on his prey. Starscream dropped and crawled away as the Predacon bit and clawed his own leader, fighting for all he was worth to protect the Seeker.

Predaking shouldered the Predacon into a house and sank his teeth into his shoulder. When energon sprayed, he clamped his mouth to it and drank greedily, eyes relaxing for a moment. The noise of the battle and screams had drawn in more Predacons, and there were already diving upon him. Yet the presence of so many drove Predaking mad. He lashed at throats and tore at them in a flurry of slashes, rolling and swallowing all the blood that he could.

Starscream stumbled to the fountain. He was too injured to fight, but he could hide behind the cascading energon like he once had during a game of hide-and-seek. Predaking wouldn't find him there, and Starscream could call for backup. This fountain was so close now, nearly in reach. He just needed to limp forward those last few steps.

The path cleared for a second of Predacons, nothing but air between Starscream and Predaking. Starscream had not noticed it until he heard the thunder of footsteps descending upon him without warning. He swung back his head and shrieked when teeth filled his vision. His felt his spark tumble as those fangs punctured into his abdomen, crunching into his organs. He heard it, he felt it, and he realized it.

Predaking shook his body, snapping him just like those Predacons did to civilians in Kaon. His teeth dug deeper, forcing more fresh, sweet energon to trickle down his throat. Starscream choked and fell limp, vision flickering as he heard all the screams. Horrified Predacons, and that familiar voice of Starscream's lieutenant as he flew in.

" _Moonwing_!"

That kind of scream was reserved for when someone was watching another die. Then Starscream realized, that Predaking was killing him. Seekers pounded Predaking with vengeance, and Predacons launched at him, taking Predaking to the ground and tearing into him. Starscream fell from his mouth, instantly swooped into the arms of Aceflight and dragged off the battleground.

"Moon! Moon, stay awake," Aceflight gasped as he tucked them into an alley. The chaos of claws and blasts could not reach them here. "You're going to be okay!"

Aceflight pressed his hands down onto Starscream's abdomen and began calling for help through his commlink. Starscream's eyes drifted down, and then he saw the growing puddle of energon leaking from him. Tubes were torn, organs pricked, and blood was escaping through Aceflight's desperate fingers.

He lay as Redwing had before, with Aceflight now taking his place, panicking and reassuring him.

"Help is coming," Aceflight whispered. "Come on, chief. Come on."

Starscream's vision flickered, and he knew Aceflight was watching his red eyes power off and on. It terrified him. He was dying, just suddenly after being so afraid of death.

"Moon!" Aceflight wailed. He grasped his face and shook it. "Look at me!"

It was getting hard to focus on anything.

 _No, the vehicons… Steve! Shiloh! No… I have to save them. I cannot die. I cannot die…_

"Chief, buddy. _Please_! Stay strong!"

A groundbridge portal opened. Aceflight's eyes shone with hope, before a white bot charged from the portal and yanked him from Starscream. He yelped before White Dragon threw him into the portal and snagged Starscream by the throat. She dragged him through, leaving a trail of energon on the ground they left behind.

They crashed into a room, where Aceflight immediately threw himself over Starscream as a ring of one-eyed Forged surrounded them. White Dragon sided up to a blue Predacon, and all observed them.

"Not the show we expected," the blue Predacon muttered. "But, it will have to do. As long as the _precious_ Air Commander of Cybertron dies."

"Since Predaking did not eat Starscream," White Dragon hissed. "Allow me to."

The Forged glared at the Predacons, scowling and angered. Aceflight glanced at his commander, but covered him as protectively as before.

"Fool!" one Forged soldier snapped. "We must dispose of him properly. There can be no traces left behind, lest they track us!"

The blue Predacon pointed at the Aceflight. "We have a bonus to add to our news story. How shall we kill him?"

"We will not risk being found because of him either," a Forged muttered. "Their bodies must be thrown through the spacebridge."

Aceflight hugged Starscream to him and shot his heat-seekers, one at the Forged who had spoken and one at White Dragon. The Forged was struck in the chest, killed instantly, but the Predacon had jumped, letting the missile smash into a wall of technology. At once, Forged soldiers charged Aceflight and overwhelmed him before he could bare his nullrays. He was torn from Starscream, kicking and shouting in rage.

"Rust grinders! Cordless scum! Let us-"

An elbow clacked his head, silencing Aceflight for a moment. Starscream groaned and dragged his fingers over the floor. He tried to position his hands, to push himself up, but there was not enough strength to do even the first task. The blue Predacon grabbed onto Aceflight's head and throat, and glared at the Forged for approval.

"No," Starscream breathed. "You… don't have to kill us. We will join you. I could provide you with my skills, my experience as Megatron's second-in-command. Surely, you know of my reputation, my clever plans…"

"Pah, I know of your silver tongue," a Forged growled.

Another said, "He is an Autobot, through and through. He might have been useful before, but now, the greatest thing he can provide us is the great news story of his _death_. Terminate them quickly."

" _Moon_!"

Aceflight had heard everything, but he was terrified for Starscream. He gazed at his friend, focused only on him, and thus did not see how fast the blue Predacon had reacted. He yanked Aceflight's head sharply to one angle, and there was a snap. After it, the Seeker's head flopped back down to hang silently by only its tubes.

A Forged soldier drew a blade from his arm. The silver jammed into Starscream's wounds, finding an untouched organ and stabbing it. With an involuntary jerk, Starscream curled upwards, then dropped. When he landed, his head collapsed and stared forward as Aceflight's body was dropped beside him. His eyes met his lifeless ones, absent of their energetic light.

Someone cut a slit in his chest, muttering, "I want to be sure. I want to see his spark extinguish for myself, before we send him off."

Starscream's eyes narrowed and dilated. But he felt his shivers growing weaker, his body growing still.

"Really taking a long time, isn't it?" someone commented.

"Starscream's always been a difficult pest to exterminate."

Starscream's vision went out. In the loneliness of black, he heard the voices dimming.

"Ah, there we go. It's starting to…"

The words ended, and then, Starscream felt his body slipping from him. He reached to hold onto it, but it only escaped his grasp like an intangible shadow.

* * *

 _End Part Three_


	31. P4: Chapter 30: Past Lives

_Begin Part Four: The Battle for Home_

* * *

After a long period of stillness, eyes suddenly flickered in the damaged body, the dead body. It drifted into space with organs shredded and blood drained, and yet, its eyes had begun to flicker. And with those flashes, another light would bleed out through the slice in the chest, then extinguish, then light again. This silver-white glare had appeared without warning, but once it had, it flared like a star and refused to disappear completely.

Starscream saw slivers of the physical world each time he reached out to his body. Otherwise, he saw nothing but light, white and soothing around him. It called and tried to hold him in a reassuring hug, but he rejected the comfort to glimpse the cold world. He caught flashes of a barren planet as his body began to orbit it; it was grey and dry, a husk floating alone in a lonely solar system. But he knew where he had been teleported. It was Chaar, a desolate and distant planet that the Decepticons had landed on during the War.

When Starscream glanced to the stars, he saw none of the familiar constellations seen from Cybertron. Home was impossibly far, he knew, and all civilization and colonies. No energon or life reached this area of deep space, unless the rumors of the monsters underground in Chaar were true. Not that it made his situation any worse.

No one would ever come to such an unattractive place, which was why so many bodies had been dumped here. Assassinated corpses like him were far though visible as they also orbited the planet among debris and stone. Aceflight was still near him, but his eyes were dark and his body was still. The sight of him brought upon a jab of sorrow, but Starscream did not feel it in his chest like he normally would. It was difficult to explain how all of his pain was felt in all of his being now that he was not truly connected to his body. Yet there was a hold that he had upon it, and an arm moved as though pulled by strings. It trembled and reached for Aceflight, but Starscream felt nothing when it rested over him.

Wires and internals dangled as the corpse shifted over Aceflight. Weak but determined, it hugged the friend who had already gone cold. Why did he move, like a Terrorcon, while Aceflight was gone? How was it possible, that Starscream's spark was strong enough to cling to his own dead body? It was confusing and far from fair, but Aceflight was not reawakening.

" _Aceflight… wake up_."

He had tried to speak, but this voice remained in the world of light. In the material world, there was only a chink as Starscream's claws retracted at last, still stained with Predaking's blood.

" _Hey, don't worry, Starscream. I am here._ "

Starscream turned to the light and saw a shape manifesting from the glow. It gained colours and a shape, until there stood another Seeker before him in the floorless realm. Except, the Seeker that faced Starscream was not exactly Aceflight, for he was purple and black with red eyes.

"Skywarp," Starscream breathed.

"Yes," he murmured, his normally energetic voice gentle. "It looks like we met again, Starscream. In my second life."

The shape of Skywarp changed, the colours brightening to red and silver. Now, Aceflight stared at him, and in the same tone but with a different voice, he whispered, "I never knew, until I died again… that I had been reincarnated. We found each other and became friends in a way that we were never before. I never understood why I wanted to be a lieutenant so badly, and why it always felt like I had so much to live up to. And I always had an urge to follow you even though I hated you in the start."

Aceflight faded back into the dark colours of Skywarp, then approached him again.

"Primus let me return, and there is no doubt that Cloudtips is Thundercracker. We came back, Starscream, to be together. So many of the Newsparks on Cybertron are us, the dead of the War. We suffered and lost so much, but we are finding happiness again."

Skywarp had never hugged Starscream before, but he pulled him to him. He was warm and gentle like the rays of the sun, and although he looked like metal, Starscream did not feel any hard surfaces. He held his old lieutenant and his latest lieutenant, finding that he himself was also soft like sunshine.

"I cannot join the Allspark," Starscream whispered. "I want to go back. I don't want to forget who I am… If I forget who I am, then I cannot help them."

"Wait, Starscream. You aren't like me. Your spark is special, unlike anything else here. It is the brightest I have ever seen…"

When he said that, Starscream realized that the form he was seeing was only imagined. For a second, Skywarp was only a small ball of light floating before him, and Starscream saw his own rays extending from himself. Starscream's spark was blinding and flaring, more like a blazing blue sun while Skywarp was a dimmer, twinkling star.

"You aren't dead, I guess because you don't want to be. I mean I wouldn't be here if I had a choice, but you are… undying… _immortal_. I can sense something abnormal about your spark. We all can really."

Starscream glanced at the light around him and realized that other forms had manifested to watch them. They were those who had died by his actions, whether he recognized them or not, and those he had known. And while they looked at Starscream, it was not with revenge burned into their gazes. He searched among them for recent faces, for Cliffjumper, Skylynx, Darksteel, Skyquake, Dreadwing, Breakdown, Shiloh, other vehicons… He saw many vehicons among them, but Starscream did not see any faces that he had known well.

Starscream froze in the faces of the dead. One of them, an Autobot most likely, stepped forward to say, "Whenever a spark rejoins the Allspark, we see all of its memories. Through them, we see you and all that you have done for Cybertron. And we can feel your emotions as you stand so close to us."

"You have changed," another said.

"You are strong."

"We know how you have suffered."

Then, a wheeled vehicon gained shape and strode to the front, daring to approach Starscream. It was a plain, purple vehicon like any other, but the way he moved was familiar enough to alarm Starscream. He did not need to see any cloth bracelet to verify his horror. He knew that this was his friend there among the dead.

"Steve!" Starscream yelped. "Steve, no… What happened?"

"I am sorry," Steve murmured. "I never wanted you to feel any pain, and now I have caused it. They captured us, but we were not experiments. They killed us all, tying us to poles, but... there was nothing you could do to save us."

The vehicon took Skywarp's place, hugging Starscream and sharing his warmth. When Starscream was so close that he sensed the sorrow that was Steve's spark. He entered the emotion and saw Steve's final memory through his eyes and felt all that he had felt.

There had been binds biting into his wrists and ankles, pinning Steve to one of those T-shaped poles Starscream had seen before. He jolted and struggled, but he was too weak in this position to break the chains. Vehicons around him writhed in the same way, more frantically as Predacons prowled into the room and fanned out. There was an uproar as vehicons began to plead, negotiate, or insult the approaching beasts. Starscream shared Steve's scorching fear as one Predacon stalked up to his whimpering self, bemused by his helplessness.

" _St-Starscream_ …"

But Starscream would never find him in time. The fangs parted, then Starscream gasped as he saw and felt the gore. Steve pushed him away to disrupt the memory, stepping back and looking away.

"It happened to about forty of us," Steve murmured. "But Shiloh isn't here yet. I saw him go down but… he is still alive, somewhere. They must have abandoned him and he was found by the paramedics. But he will join us soon, for I can feel that his spark is about to enter this realm."

Starscream tried to feel what he felt for Shiloh, but he found that he could not sense anything that was not touching him. He was not one with the Allspark and did not share the collection of knowledge that the dead did. Yet if Steve was so sure that another one of his friends was about to die… Starscream could not help but clench up and grit his teeth.

 _How could this have happened just like this, behind my back?_

Steve heard his thoughts and murmured, "I know it was sudden. There was nothing you could do… and I know there will be more deaths you cannot prevent. But please, do not let it get to you and don't let any desire for vengeance blind you either. If your body is damaged beyond possible repair, then you will have no choice but to join the Allspark…"

"They killed you for sport," he uttered. "They must pay for ending you. And I will make no mistakes. I will find them, and when I do, they will perish."

Steve paused. "If you can change them, please forgive them. They are brainwashed and… I know many have forgiven you despite what you have done. I always wanted you to be loved instead of killed. So…"

Starscream narrowed his eyes, but his silence represented a bitter argument. He did not want to help any carnivorous beast, but he tried to remember the kind Predacons who befriended him.

The vehicon then stretched out, the wheels fading as wings emerged from his back. His purple warmed into yellow, and eyes formed in his face that were red and bright with both love and sadness. Starscream froze as he faced the flier of his dream, who whispered now, "Do you remember me, Starscream?"

Starscream stared for a moment, then breathed, "Sunstorm…"

Sunstorm smiled the smile of someone remembering good times long gone. "Starscream, you were my first friend in my first life. I remembered you when you were innocent and kind."

The Seeker ran his hands down Starscream's arms then held them by the wrists. Starscream noticed that he had changed to no longer be black, blue, and silver, but he was coloured as he was when he had been forged. Starscream was silver and red, more like the form he had had on Earth than the form Knockout had given him recently.

"But… when we were forced into the military, I couldn't be with you anymore," Sunstorm sighed. "Not really. I watched you soar through the ranks, and how your ego grew with all the praise you received. But I knew you were good inside. When the War broke out, I was always close to you, serving you even if you had forgotten me. I always hoped that the good in you would pull through, and I hoped… We could be friends once again."

Sunstorm exhaled. "Then during the War… I… I was made into a radioactive weapon. And then, I wasn't allowed to get to close to anyone. I saw you only from a distance, and I knew that… I would never be able to come near you again. When I died in battle, I regretted that I had not done more in my life, and that I never managed to change you back."

He blinked his red eyes at Starscream, before his shape changed back into that of a vehicon.

"I always felt that I needed to help you, somehow. I could never stop thinking about you, and I felt for you whenever you were hurt, scared, or sad, even if you never saw me there in the background. Even if I have to wait, I know in my spark that I will find you again. I will always remember you in some way, even if I remember nothing about my past and all the memories we had together."

This did not comfort truly Starscream; in fact, it dismayed him. If this was reality, then no matter how many times Steve came back, he would never remember being there at Starscream's side.

"Star," Steve murmured. "Don't be sad."

Starscream clenched his fists. "I must go back. I will end this once and for all."

Steve shifted in surprise of his ferocity, but nodded as he changed his form one last time.

"You are special, Starscream," Sunstorm murmured. "But be careful. You are not invincible."

Starscream glanced through the crowd one last time for those like Cliffjumper, but he did not see them. Somewhere on Cybertron, their sparks must be inhabiting new bodies with no memories of their pasts. So he then reached out, not with his arms, but with his being to search for his body. He relocated it just as Aceflight whispered, " _Good luck_ , _Starscream_."

Eyes flickered again in the dead body, but then the hold stayed. Red glowed, bright despite the wasted shreds of Starscream's form. His internals still hung out as he clung to Aceflight's body, and there were hardly any drops of energon left to bleed out. Starscream did not know how long he had been out for, but their position had drifted around the planet. When Starscream glanced to the right, to where they had been teleported, there was now a curious spacecraft there. It was small, but securely armoured, with a scraped Decepticon symbol on its hull.

Starscream blinked, wondering if it had been sent after them. But surely, no one in the universe had known that his spark was abnormal and a possible, returning threat. That he, a spirit so to say, could possess his own body.

The ship seemed to be investigating if any threat had come through the random portal. Starscream realized that someone had to have been living on the planet, and they were paranoid about being found even if they were used to these assassinated bodies coming through.

Those in the ship would see him then. Starscream wanted to move to catch their attention, but found that he could barely do more than keep these eyes alight. His body twitched, far from sitting up and waving.

 _Look this way! Come on!_

If no one repaired his body or took it from orbit, then he would be stuck here for however many years. Forever, perhaps. Never returning home to distant Cybertron.

The point of the ship turned to face them, then it came over to view the new bodies. It must have been curious, to see two together, one grasping the other as though…

Yes, the bodies together was enough to permit the ship to stop and for a door to open. This finding was unusual and needed to be investigated. A hulking, spiked shape filled the doorway before transforming and blasting up to them. Starscream immediately recognized that body, though modified since their last encounter, and he nearly panicked.

 _Primus, how could this happen? In all of the vastness of space, on this dead wasteland of a planet-_

Megatron floated up to the bodies and instantly saw the red eyes staring back at him. Now his eyes narrowed, examining the ripped corpse that somehow stared back at him. Starscream's face twitched and opened in surprise, relief, and worry. Did Megatron realize who he was staring at? Could he see it in his eyes? Starscream wondered what it had meant when Megatron's eyes narrowed like that.

 _Will he help me if he knows who I am?_

Megatron glanced at the glow of his spark through the slit in Starscream's chest. He did not stare for long at this proximity, for the light would have damaged his eyes otherwise.

Megatron uttered back to the ship, "One lives."

A voice crackled back, "What? Oh my, okay…"

The ship flew closer as Megatron retracted Starscream from Aceflight. His friend escaped his black fingers, left in the cold of space as Starscream was taken into the warmth of the ship.

 _Megatron. It's Megatron._

Starscream could not feel how gentle he was, but he saw that his arms were in the same position Optimus's had been whenever he had held him. He wondered if he would be holding him so carefully, if he knew it was him. No, Starscream felt sure that the colours of his body were enough to make him appear to be just an unfortunate, unfamiliar bot. Megatron surely would not be this nice to _him_.

Megatron quickly strode to a section of the ship that seemed to be reserved for medical purposes. He set down Starscream onto a berth as footsteps even heavier than Megatron's raced down the hall. Starscream watched the door as a Predacon burst in, eyes wide. Instantly, he assumed the worse to see a Predacon, that it was one of the enemy come to kill them. He couldn't imagine any other reason for one to be here in space.

"Online?" she gasped. "But, we detected no life signals… Oh! How is he still...?"

Megatron made his gruff _hmm_ sound, as he stared at the damaged organs. Starscream could not help but feel a reflexive twinge of fear at the sound he made, used to such low sounds representing Megatron's displeasure. But if he was reluctant to help him, he did not show it. Megatron collected the basic medical kit and the first thing he did was to start stabbing himself repeatedly in the arm, drawing out energon into a syringe. He then inserted the needle into Starscream, who would have flinched in fear if he could, each time the needle entered his chest, arms, and legs.

But he could not deny how impressive and frightening it was that Megatron was giving him his blood.

Starscream hardly felt anything, but the energon gave him a tingle of energy. The Predacon took a welding torch and carefully worked on one of his organs. She seemed to have some knowledge about the body, lifting some severed tubes and wires and confidently re-attaching them. Some of the fresh energon leaked out immediately, but the flow ebbed as she continued to work.

Starscream was more distracted by Megatron, watching some expressions on his face that he had never seen before. His face creased as he also concentrated, fixing dents and rips, looking all for the world that he was genuinely intent on healing him. And Starscream did not think he had ever seen Megatron fix anything in his life, but now he was practicing first aid on him.

 _Where did he learn this? What has he been doing all this time?_

The Predacon narrowed her eyes and carefully closed up Starscream's spark chamber. As she did, she murmured, "He shouldn't be alive. I don't understand…"

But they never stopped working. Megatron stopped often to draw out energon from himself and put it into Starscream, even if much of it spilled back out onto the berth and floor. He and the Predacon became smeared with Megatron's blood, but none of them were deterred. The Predacon carefully bent back a folded piece of his T-cog, anxiously watching Starscream's face for any sign of pain.

"I don't think he can feel anything," she murmured. "But, should we give him anesthesia?"

She went on to do it anyway although Megatron stayed silent. He then looked Starscream in the eyes, causing a jolt of fear to course through him. He shouldn't have been afraid, since Megatron was saving him. Yet he looked into him in a way that no one else had, spooking Starscream into believing that he could see right through his disguise into him. Irrationally, Starscream worried that he would stop healing him right then and there. But Megatron did not stop, so Starscream decided that he had imagined it all.

The lone ship slowly drifted in space for a long while, the two bots collaborating on repairing a dead body until it was whole. Then, there was true life. Starscream felt his spark lock into his welded chest and feeling extend into his limbs. His minor injuries flared up again, those burns from before, and everything in his abdomen ached. Starscream wanted to hide his voice from Megatron, but as he stirred to life, his whimpers came forth. If Megatron hadn't yet known, then he surely would now.

He released mewls of pain and feebly rolled in agony. The Predacon gasped in teary relief, then she filled his vision, leaning over him and petting his face.

"Primus, it is a miracle. Hey there. You're okay now, little one."

She hushed him and gave him more painkillers, then moved back as Megatron came closer. In that berth, Starscream froze as he looked over Megatron's towering form. At some point, he had been trimmed of the Unicron-like, rust-coloured spikes. He was silver and closer to how Starscream had known him, but he was smoother and better polished. Starscream had never seen Megatron with such a clean face before. He noticed now that the grime had been cleared out, and now he could hardly see the lines of his old scars.

The Predacon murmured, "Can you speak? What is your name?"

Megatron injected a fresh vial of energon into Starscream's arm. The liquid stayed inside him this time, warm and refreshing. He was not looking at his face, but Starscream felt that Megatron was only pretending not to, and was really watching him in his peripheral vision. Yet he was still helping him, although he knew who he was, so it was enough to make him feel safer.

"I am Starscream."

The Predacon gaped, but the only surprise Megatron showed was for the fact that Starscream had not denied it. He then looked to Starscream, and he did not waste time getting to the point. "And what has brought you here, Starscream? What is it that you have done to earn you this fate? Do not tell me that you have foolishly gone against my wishes, to revive the Decepticons on your own."

"Mas…" Starscream paused, for he did not know how to address him. "There is much you do not know. My story is long, but I assure you, that I have changed. I am an Autobot, and it is my loyalty to them that landed me this fate."

Megatron's eyes fell to the golden insignia on Starscream's chest, though sliced, was clearly an Autobot one bordered by the wings of Vos. It had been hidden by his spark's glow until Starscream had been fixed. Of course, Megatron gazed at it with suspicion. Starscream would have made up stories just to escape facing his wrath. What was most likely to him, was that Starscream had snuck into the Air Command and his quest for power had been foiled.

"I realize that I was the least likely to change, M… Megatron," Starscream exhaled. "In truth, I did attempt to rule the Decepticons."

Megatron narrowed his eyes while Starscream's widened in his nervousness. The Predacon was so still and silent that it was like she was not even there.

"But my greed was my undoing, and I was defeated by Optimus on Earth-"

The line of Megatron's mouth turned down, exposing some sharp teeth. Starscream twitched and quickly continued.

"I ended up in a catatonic state due to a peculiar energy within me that damaged my body and mind. Optimus and Ratchet awakened me, but in the beginning, I had none of my memories. They had me believe that I was an injured Newspark by the name of Moonwing. Optimus and those Autobots raised me and taught me morals and laws. I eventually learned who I really was, but before then, I had grown attached to the Autobots and had made friends. I began to recover my memories and strength, but I had already seen the fault in my ways by that time."

Megatron's face unwrinkled as he began to take interest.

"So you are saying, that Optimus allowed you a chance for redemption."

Starscream nodded slowly. His body could barely handle even doing this. In fact, all this talking so far was draining him. Yet he was used to fighting through exhaustion, and he desperately wanted to give them all the information that he could.

"I owe him my life. They could have imprisoned me, but they gave me freedom. So I vowed to him, that I would use my skills to serve the Air Command. They protected my identity, and allowed me to eventually become the Air Commander of the Predacon district."

The blue and red Predacon widened her eyes. "A Predacon... _district_?"

Starscream reported, "There are about four-hundred naturally forged Predacons on Cybertron." He looked back to Megatron. "The planet teems with life, in a new Age of Evolution. Old animal races flourish again, and the new generation of Cybertronians is diverse. Our planet is restored, and we have a stable political system at last. We trade with colony worlds, alien races visit Cybertron…"

He saw the amazement in the Predacon's eyes and he noticed that Megatron too, was impressed. He did not think Starscream would have invented an uplifting and detailed story like this, when he could have fabricated a more likely story instead. Therefore, it had to be the truth. Nevertheless, Starscream did not want them believing that the planet was faring well for too long.

"However, not all is well on Cybertron," Starscream continued. "There is danger brewing below the surface. Discrimination between races exist as many are not willing to trust the Predacons. A hidden organization employs the tension, and they are making an army of Predacon clones to take over Cybertron. They are the collaboration of all Decepticon gangs and they are run by the Forged, Shockwave's disciples. They have Soundwave on their side, among others such as Slipstream."

Megatron stared.

"They employ cloaking technology, hacking, spying, brainwashing, and blackmail. They have even been able to force Autobots to aid them, to release prisoners and to obtain a sample of the plague that once turned our troopers in energon-sucking Terrorcons. They have modified it into a non-contagious disease, likely to serve as a weapon, and they injected it into Predaking. They intended for him to kill me, as I have been opposing the organization for long. They tried to dispose of me and…"

"Your friend out there," the Predacon whispered. "We'll go get him."

She was already leaving to go steer the ship. Starscream felt grief burn anew in his chest as he remembered meeting the dead in the realm of light and collected memories. They seemed so impossibly far away now.

While Starscream had seen new emotions on Megatron's face today, it was now his turn to see some on Starscream's.

"So then, Starscream," Megatron began, just as Starscream realized that he was not ready to be alone with him. "You wish to be a hero of Cybertron."

"N-not exactly," he stammered. "But Cybertron stands on the edge of a new Golden Age. I want us to have peace and prosperity, yet this threat would bring upon an age of terror."

He realized that it sounded scripted, but he prayed that Megatron would believe that he was sincere. Megatron's face was not revealing much except for some displeasure around the eyes that unnerved Starscream.

"Do… you believe me?" Starscream murmured.

"I know that there is much truth in your story," Megatron replied. "But I question your true intentions."

That doubt offended and hurt him, even if everything Starscream had been saying sounded fake.

"Why would you?" he countered, though carefully to not seem aggressive. "Haven't you changed? Why do you believe I am incapable of doing so?"

"I am open to the possibility," Megatron stated. "After all, you did seem attached to that particular Seeker."

So he did believe him, but countless years of doubt were not just going to disappear.

"He was my friend," Starscream sighed. "Aceflight was my lieutenant, and apparently, he was the reincarnation of Skywarp."

Megatron knew Starscream's old lieutenants, and Skywarp's teleportation powers had been useful before his death. He could not hide being curious about what Starscream was saying now. "You were one with the Allspark?"

"No," Starscream whispered. "I never joined them, though I was there. I saw the dead and learned that sparks can return, though without their memories. The memories are forever collected in the Allspark although… They feel the bonds of their past life and unconsciously seek their old friends."

"Interesting. That is not the exact belief that is held by our people."

"I do not believe many have been where I have and returned with the information."

Starscream blinked sleepily, but Megatron asked, "How were you able to survive these wounds, Starscream?"

"They said my spark is abnormal, but I cannot say why. Perhaps it was a fluke of Primus."

"And perhaps this explains your intolerable arrogance and desire to be esteemed."

Starscream stared until he realized that Megatron had just made a joke with him. He blinked again and smiled crookedly.

"Ah, ahrm. Well, if I had known, then I imagine that I would have been more confident in battle and less fearful of…"

… _you_.

Starscream jumped a bit to find himself staring into Megatron's eyes for too long. Megatron must have known what he had nearly said, especially when Starscream looked away quickly.

"Did you know it was me?" Starscream stammered. "I mean, when you discovered me."

Megatron chuckled, "There is nothing you could do to disguise yourself from me. I know you better than any other alive. For you and I have known each other for quite some time. I knew the moment I saw your optics, and I would have known even if they had been modified, based on your expression upon seeing me."

The truth of his statement startled Starscream. In consideration, Megatron _did_ know him better than anyone else, even more than his old lieutenants. The two of them had been side-by-side during the long war, and Megatron had learned to predict him, understand his thoughts, and how to get to him. Megatron must have been the only one to see all sides of him, whereas the majority had mostly just seen the deceivious schemer, Megatron had seen him begging pitifully and trying to make himself look cute and nonthreatening. He would have died of shame to act so pathetic before the other Seekers.

"I suppose this attachment kept me from terminating you in the several times that I should have," Megatron uttered. "No matter the mistakes you made and your treachery, and each rising urge that I had to end you. I convinced myself that you did prove to be useful now and then, but I also could not deny that it would be… _unusual_ to not have you around."

Starscream recoiled slightly. More than nine years ago, Megatron had claimed to understand oppression, yet he did not seem to understand how he had treated him. Did he really regret nothing at all? Even after he had intimidated and harmed Starscream in ways he would never to other crew members?

 _He must just think I deserve it. Like everyone else did…_

Starscream closed his eyes. The other Autobots of Team Prime, even his friends, had never told him that he did not deserve to be abused. He was sure they knew it had happened, yet no one had brought it up. Steve had, and Steve had felt so bad for him. Now, he was dead and…

"What is it now?"

"I am tired," Starscream muttered. "I should power down now."

"There is something bothering you."

Starscream peered at him, feeling old hatred returning the longer they went on without addressing how Megatron had used to treat him. He wanted Megatron to realize his cruelty himself, but Starscream felt that Megatron was behaving as though it had been kind of him to _not_ kill him earlier.

"You stated yourself that you _should_ have killed me, but didn't. I remember you describing me as a source of entertainment. Is that why you saved me today?" Starscream's gaze turned venomous and he began to spit out his words. "You always despised me. You enjoyed my suffering. You didn't save me out of the caring of your spark because you clearly see no fault in how you used to treat me. You understand the true meaning of oppression, you said? Oh, it must have been difficult, enduring oppression from someone stronger than you. I cannot imagine how that would feel, _Master_."

Megatron's eyebrows lowered. Starscream assumed he was vexed by his outburst and insults. Then, Megatron started his reply with his name, drawing it out in the way he used to after he thought Starscream had done or said something idiotic.

" _Starscream_."

He glared back.

"When I found you, I assumed that you had not changed. I only wished to restore you and then begin the long road of conversion, so that you too would learn compassion."

It hurt to move his wings, especially the injured one, but Starscream bristled and raised them.

" _Compassion_?" he hissed. He was less careful with his tone after going so long without being challenged for it.

The door slid open and the Predacon appeared, announcing, "I put him in the other room."

Megatron put back his hand to keep her from interrupting further. "Wait."

To Starscream, he said, "You believe that I am incognizant of my actions. However, I can assure you that my isolation has given me much time to think. You are stressing a similarity between my suffering under Unicron and your suffering under my rule. I presume that you believe that your suffering was greater, due to the innumerable times I mistreated you and reveled in your submission. Now I doubt that any verbal apology would have any worth to you, but I will inform you that I agree with you and that I regret my actions."

Starscream frowned.

 _So he is apologizing then?_

Starscream's glare softened now. He started to recall how Megatron had carried him and repeatedly drawn out energon from himself to give to Starscream. If he had known the whole time, then he must have truly been trying to make up for their past. Then, Starscream faced the fact that others like Arcee were struggling to forgive him like he was to Megatron. He might as well give Megatron a chance as well.

But he couldn't think of anything better to say than a murmured, "Okay."

The Predacon walked up to the berth and whispered, "He means it, Starscream. He told us about you before and about how he wanted to help you."

Starscream gazed back at her curiously, amazed that Megatron had told this Predacon clone about his past. It was also interesting to consider now that such a kind Predacon accompanied Megatron and did not judge him. And if she existed, then Shockwave was around, likely having had cloned the last collection of bones he had had into these companions.

"Where is Shockwave?" Starscream asked upon that thought.

"He's gone out," the Predacon answered with a surprised blink. "But he won't be back for a stellar cycle. He's gathering supplies."

Somehow, Shockwave and Megatron had raised this personality. That said more about Megatron's new self than his words just had.

"Oh, but, you don't need to ask so many questions," she murmured. "You're exhausted. I think you really should take a very long power down. You told us plenty and there will be lots more time to talk later."

Yes, it had felt like he had gotten much off his chest. But he was a bit wary of the length of time she meant. When would they help him get back to Cybertron? Starscream needed to know what effect the news stories would have. Jetfire and Optimus had just revealed how Predacons were being harvested for their parts, followed by the reports of the Air Commander and Lieutenant of Predacon Valley going missing, with _Moonwing_ certainly dead from the wounds inflicted by the Predacon leader. The general public would be in uproar about him, and the Predacons would be more sensitive than ever after hearing about the farming.

 _What will happen to my Seekers? Can Optimus and the others handle this?_

Starscream told himself that if they couldn't handle it, then he couldn't be arrogant and pretend that he could. Yet he could not help but worry for the fate of his planet and feel helpless here. The best thing that could happen was that the Predacon clones saw the news and rebelled against the Forged and Decepticons for secretly using some of them for upgrades. The Predacons might kill the Forged, but that also got Starscream worried about what would happen to Soundwave and Slipstream.

"We'll wash you up after," the Predacon promised. "Just recharge for now."

Even though Megatron had told her about him, the Predacon still decided to touch his face.

"Do you need anything?" she asked. "Are you too cold? Hot?"

It was uncomfortable to have Megatron watching the Predacon stroking him. He didn't want to show that he enjoyed it, somehow finding embarrassment in his changed personality. Starscream said he was fine, just as Megatron turned to exit the room. That broke the tension, allowing Starscream to melt back into the berth. It was easier to be with the Predacon, even with her fanged bot face that appeared ruthless. He glanced over her armour now that it was just them, and started to feel that something was familiar about her.

"What is your name?" Starscream mumbled.

"Ripclaw," she answered softly.

"You are the Predacon we were cloning," he realized. She had helped him puncture into a memory. "Shockwave had already chosen your name. You were meant to join Darksteel and Skylynx, and you were still incubating when Unicron came to Cybertron."

"That's right." Ripclaw kept whispering, hoping that Starscream would drift off as she talked. "Megatron came across Shockwave, and they agreed to leave Cybertron together. But Shockwave waited for me, and he collected all the fossils that he had and his equipment. We left on an emergency ship that Shockwave had tucked away in a secret lab..."

Starscream was interested, but her voice was lulling him to sleep.

"Megatron wanted to go somewhere no one else would ever go. Shockwave was fine with it as long as we had enough supplies to survive. He started producing synthetic energon and cloning the others as we flew to Chaar. This is my home now, although we leave sometimes to get other materials from alien planets. We're terraforming Chaar, changing the biosphere to sustain life. It's going to take a long time to do a large section, but we have some indoor organic life and some new life forms outside. Shockwave is amazing. He made some creatures that live off solar energy! Oh, I will show you them later, Starscream. They are very cute and love us. We also went to a colony called Antilla! There was no one there, but we captured some bumblepuppies and let me say that Megatron is rather weak for them…"

His eyes closed as Ripclaw caressed his uninjured wing.

"He even named a lot of our pets. He's good at telling them apart, but Grimwing started making collars anyway. Oh, Grimwing is another one of the clones. There's me, him, Blackbeak, Divebomb, Stormrazor, Corhada, and Vertebreak… but Vertebreak went with Shockwave because he loves him so much, and he wants to protect him on the journey. We all care about him of course, but Vertebreak spends all his time following Shockwave everywhere.

"Ah, I forgot to say that we got another ship when we went to Antilla, so those two left while we're staying behind to watch over the planet. No one has come here yet, but someone started dumping bodies here about four Chaar years ago, so about five Cybertronian stellar cycles? We always take a peek, and Megatron doesn't want to move the bodies in case someone notices that they've gone missing. I don't agree at all, because I think that we should collect them, but I'm happy that he checks them to look for survivors…"

Ripclaw was a bit worried when Starscream had stopped moving altogether. Then she tentatively felt for his pulse, then found it and smiled.


	32. Chapter 31: Stranded

Starscream slept for two weeks, unaware of the time passage. He had no idea when they had landed on Chaar's surface, and he had hardly been conscious of syringes poking into him to give him fresh energon. Predacons had visited him, curious to see the state of that _Starscream_ character they had heard about. Ripclaw checked on Starscream the most, but Megatron too would often glance in, wondering how long it would take for Starscream to gain back his strength.

Finally, he had true consciousness. But with it came much stiffness and pain that was mostly internal. The shot wounds were still visible, but they looked worse than they felt. On the other hand, his abdomen was aflame and was horrifying to examine. Without the cockpit there, Starscream could clearly see where each of Predaking's teeth had entered him, the bite mark glowing from silver welds.

Starscream glanced away then around the room, head feeling heavy as he waited in long silence for someone to check on him. Ripclaw was the first to come in, where she informed him that though it had been two weeks, he could rest longer.

He shook his head. "I must return to Cybertron as soon as possible. When can we depart?"

The Predacon jolted, then clicked her sharp fingers together. "Erm… Maybe you should talk to Megatron about this. I don't really know…"

"Why can't we go now?"

"I'll be right back," she answered before hurrying away. Starscream stared after her with impatience, already getting the sense that they didn't want him to leave for some reason.

And Starscream was not exactly in the mood to talk to Megatron, even if he had apologized. It was hard to shake away his hatred and memories of pain, especially as Megatron had been appearing in many nightmares in the last year. What hadn't changed as well, was that Megatron was massive compared to him, still brutishly powerful with rough fists and heavy feet.

Ripclaw led Megatron into the room then left. Starscream wished that she would have stayed to supervise them, but she was too uncomfortable about the question. He was left injured on a berth, facing the former tyrant and trying to remind himself that Megatron had already healed him.

"I have the impression that you want me to stay here," Starscream began, trying to conceal that he was somewhat intimidated.

"When Shockwave returns, you may leave," Megatron replied.

Starscream stammered, "But, did Ripclaw not say he wouldn't be back for a stellar cycle?"

"That is correct."

Starscream gaped. A year was far too long, for there was so much that could happen. It was not like the War on Cybertron, where years could go by without either side gaining any substantial ground. Many of Starscream's friends could be taken and killed in a year, and the tensions in Predacon Valley could explode now that Predaking had lost his mind. The ancient Predacon would take it over, if she hadn't already.

"I cannot wait until then!" he blurted out. "So much is happening at this very moment. I need to be there."

"And how could you manipulate the outcome, if you were there?" Megatron rasped. "Do you really believe you have such power, more influence than Optimus Prime?"

Starscream knew he was not supposed to agree, otherwise he would sound arrogant. But internally, he knew that he had formulated original ideas that have been useful thus far. So he tried to say with a humble tone, "I have been helpful in the issues regarding the Predacons. I have been working with the Autobots on this for a while now."

"They will manage without you."

He hated being brushed off like this. All his planning and effort had been serving the Autobots until now, but Megatron still wasn't taking him seriously.

"I am the Air Commander of the Predacon district," he stressed. "I have done so much for the residents that they _respect_ me. If I am not there, then the chaotic state that the district was already in will intensify."

"And why was it in a chaotic state?"

"That wasn't because of my actions!" Starscream seethed as Megatron kept believing that he had failed somehow. "I have brought the only hope of stability to that district that they have _ever_ had. I improved their lives while exerting myself to promote peace between all races. You may not respect me in any sense, but you are completely ignorant to Cybertron's current issues. You cannot be so quick to judge as you have no idea what is happening there. In fact, if you hadn't left so abruptly, this might not be happening."

Megatron narrowed his eyes. It startled Starscream, since he wasn't used to having the right to speak so freely with him. But Megatron did not storm up to him for his insolence. Instead, he muttered, "Tell me, Starscream, how this could be my fault?"

"The Decepticons don't believe that you just dissolved them like you did," Starscream answered. "No one thinks you stopped being a Decepticon because no one has _proof_ that you did. The Autobots claim it, and they do not believe them. They are fighting in your name and in Shockwave's, and they are trying to take over Cybertron right now for _you two_."

There was a pause where they just stared at each other.

"You have to come back with me," Starscream murmured. "You, and Shockwave. You must say for yourself that it is over. They might stop if you do. Soundwave will, and at least they would lose much with him. Contact Shockwave to return, so that we may travel to Cybertron together."

"We will not return," Megatron said. "You may take a recording, but there is no place for us on Cybertron anymore."

"They may not believe any video," Starscream countered. "You must come with me so that we can be certain. You may return to Chaar after this is all over."

"Returning to Cybertron risks our capture. The population would also not react kindly if they discovered our presence, which would also endanger our lives. Furthermore, I presume that Cybertron strictly monitors the ships that arrive to and leave from the planet. There is no way for us to do this without detection."

"We would seek Optimus's aid," Starscream replied. "He would help you. You know that he would. Optimus is not an individual who is driven by vengeance. If he understands that you have changed and strive to do good, he would never punish you. He would cover you as he covers me."

Megatron stared at him again, then growled softly, "I will consider it. However, we will wait for Shockwave. He must gather our distant resources, and we cannot risk trying to contact him. Someone with ill intent may detect the message and trace us."

"And if we leave without Shockwave?" Starscream tried.

"Such a hurry, Starscream. But have you forgotten, even with a ship, it will take yet another stellar cycle to fly to Cybertron? You may have noticed that we lack a space bridge."

Starscream jumped, for he had forgotten that they would still have to take the time to travel. Two years? He could not imagine how much would change then. Yet if this was the circumstance, then Starscream certainly _was_ confined to at least a year away.

"Then we must leave without him!" Starscream gasped. "Immediately."

"I will consider it," Megatron repeated.

Starscream opened his mouth to protest, but Megatron stood like an immovable pillar, his stare so sure and intense. He backed down, but was already brewing up a plan.

 _I need to get back. A stellar cycle is much too long. Maybe then… I can take their ship and somehow get Megatron unconscious on it… in stasis pod? Megatron might be enough._

Oh but, with his condition, how could he do anything? Even healthy, there was no way he would be strong enough to push Megatron into a pod. It was hopeless. He just had to convince Megatron to take him back.

"Please," Starscream began again.

Megatron turned his back on him, leaving despite the desperate look Starscream gave him. Yet Starscream knew inside, it wasn't that Megatron didn't care about Cybertron. He only thought that Optimus would take care of its problems better than Starscream ever could. And maybe it was true, that the others _could_ proceed without Starscream, but it killed him to not know what was happening.

Starscream tried to slide his legs off the berth. His feet touched the ground, but when he tried to stand, pain screamed in his gut. He dropped back down onto the berth, cursing under his breath. He was too weak to do anything yet. But he could heal during the ship ride, and be ready for whatever he would find.

No one else was coming back. Starscream lay back down and glared at the ceiling until he slept again.

* * *

Ripclaw came into the room two days later with a creature wiggling in her arms. Starscream awakened, his head feeling worse than before and his guts flipping from the nausea. He groaned and stared at the metallic creature, which had huge, black eyes and floppy ears. A short tail waved as Ripclaw set the animal onto the berth, which immediately nuzzled itself under Starscream's hand.

"Megatron says you don't like animals," Ripclaw said. "But, I didn't think that was true, right? Because you changed too. Even Megatron likes bumblepuppies."

The alien creature turned its doleful eyes up to Starscream, who gave in immediately and began to pet it. Though he thought about Bulkhead's pet, and felt homesickness already striking him.

"That one is Megatron's; he calls him Boulder. But he was fine with me showing you him."

Starscream huffed in amusement at the unoriginal name, considering that the planet they were on was a mass of rock and metal. Then he felt a spell of dizziness and feverish heat, and lay down to let the bumblepuppy snuggle in under his armpit.

"Since you won't be able to move for a bit, I can bring you visitors." The Predacon tried to be cheery. "Would you like to meet any of my brethren?"

Starscream shrugged slightly, but he wondered more about where Megatron had gone.

Ripclaw took in the Predacons one at a time, but tracking them each down took so long that the rest of the day went by before the visits were done. Starscream dozed after each visit with the animal tucked against him, and he stroked its head now and then. He woke only to greet each Predacon, a total of six friendly individuals. Grimwing seemed a noble type, accompanied by Blackbeak, a deformed Predacon who was the size of a minicon. Stormrazor was next, then Divebomb. The last was Corhada, who supposedly worked underground and fought the vicious monsters of Chaar.

Starscream did not see Megatron at all that day. When the room was empty save for him and the bumblepuppy, Starscream stared at the door expectantly.

 _Haven't you made up your mind yet?_

When the door did open, it was Stormrazor.

"Hey, just here wi' some energon," he greeted Starscream.

Starscream sat up. "Where is Megatron?"

"Oh, he's fightin' down below. Weird monsters crawl into our cave otherwise, tryin' to eat us. They're massive honestly, but Megatron's always alright. Just gets better and better at killing them."

He put a metal cup of liquid energon into Starscream's hand.

"Think you can swallow somethin'?"

"Why won't he take me back to Cybertron now?"

"Oi, ah…" Stormrazor looked guilty. "I heard o' that… See, it isn't easy for him, Starscream. He knows it's important to you, but he feels so conflicted really. It's so peaceful on Chaar, except for the monsters I guess, but it's safe. Megatron doesn't 'ave to be reminded of the bad times. No one judges him and hates him here. But see… if he goes back to Cybertron wi' you, he might never come back again. I just think Megatron's… scared of that 'appening. They'll arrest him forever, hurt him or kill him maybe. I hope you understand that it's hard for Megatron to say yes."

Starscream lowered his wings slightly. Megatron had not seemed so worried, and to hear that he had secret fears made Starscream feel a stir of sympathy. He drank the energon and passed the cup back to the Predacon clone.

"And I want him to come back." The Predacon's eyes gleamed with sadness. "He is family, you know. We know all about him, how he suffered as a slave and all… and if bots hurt him in revenge, I'll feel so..."

He sighed and reached down to pet Boulder. Then, he removed his hand and murmured, "I better let you rest."

The bumblepuppy got to its feet and hopped off to trot after the Predacon. He shrugged at Starscream guiltily for taking him, then departed with the animal.

And sleep Starscream did.

* * *

That morning, Starscream put his wobbly feet over the berthside again. He stood for a second, then stumbled into the wall. He held himself there for a few minutes, ventilating through the pain and nausea. It reminded him of Smokescreen helping him learn to stand, and it made him homesick once again. His spark ached over how long it had been since he had spent time with Smokescreen and other friends, for the busyness of his job had pushed them away.

Carefully following the walls, Starscream padded out from the room. The ship was not especially large, but he got lost down two dead-ends before he limped out the exit. Then, he stepped out onto the surface of Chaar. Dry gravel, bumpy and sharp, crunched under heel as he proceeded into the brisk cold of the planet. A wind whistled over the terrain, and Starscream wrapped his arms around himself. The day was a fine one for Chaar, and knowing that made him dislike the planet anew.

From where he stood, there was only brown and grey wasteland in almost all directions. Though in front of him, there was a walled area a few kilometres long. It was filled with black dirt, and plant life from a planet different than Earth grew in it. The trees, shrubs, and flowers were young and squat, easy to look over to see the flickers of tiny animal life within. The plants were faring well in this cold, and were hardy against strong wind. Starscream found himself admiring them, thinking of how the air would slowly change from these plants being here.

 _They are trying to breathe life into this planet_.

There was a cluster of tiny, red flowers. When he saw them, he remembered Carnation. Was he alive? No one had mentioned him, but he sometimes went to vehicon club nights. Starscream's brows lowered, but at that moment, a mammal emerged and sniffed Starscream's foot with a long snout. It was about the size of a human, with technology stitched into its back. That must have been Shockwave's doing, helping it survive on Chaar. Then, it scampered back into the low expanse of wilderness.

There was a surprised squawk above him. A red and blue Predacon landed near him, then bounded up before him. It was Ripclaw, but he had not seen her beast form since she was incubating years ago. She was broad and heavy jawed, with a thick tail curled behind her. When she transformed, much of this compressed and vanished entirely.

"Why are you up?" she gasped. "Look at you, you can barely stand. I see your legs shaking. Come now, if you want to be out, just let me carry you. I'll give you a tour."

Ripclaw didn't wait for an answer. She squatted and bent forward, putting her head between his legs. Smoothly, she stood and hauled him up into the air, having him sit on her shoulders. Starscream twitched in surprise and embarrassment, completely taken off guard. He had never been on the shoulders of anyone in bot form, and it felt terribly silly.

"Th-this is not necessary." He felt his face grow hot. "I can walk on my own."

"Are you trying to lie to me?" she laughed.

"I got _out_ of the ship on my own, didn't I? Put me down!"

"Come on, I'll show you our other pens. They're beyond the forest."

Ripclaw took a step forward, and Starscream nearly lost his balance. He gripped the ridges of her face, then hastily let go to instead lean over her head.

"I don't want Megatron to see me like this," he hissed out.

"Why not?"

"This is humiliating!"

"What? Why? I would think it would be fun. No one here's big enough to carry me. I envy you!"

"I do not want to be a joke."

"Joke? No, not like that! Megatron won't even laugh."

"No, but he will think-"

"Shush, Starscream. You're allowed to be innocent, you know. You're acting like you have to be serious and evil, but don't you want to be happy and good? Megatron would rather see you be soft than devious."

Starscream frowned, finding it hard to argue. It just felt so wrong to act so… _foolishly_ around Megatron, and it was impossible to imagine he wanted Starscream to be like this. How could two Decepticons despised by society, who had despised each other for so long, act this way?

"Besides, I think you're cute. Megatron told us that you are extremely expressive, and you do funny things with your wings depending on your emotions. Like apparently when you are sad or trying to look innocent, they go down, or they press back when you are nervous. I've never seen a flier before, so seeing you do the things he talked about is very amusing."

Starscream burned with embarrassment and nausea.

"Why would he even mention _that_?"

Ripclaw chortled, then said, "I don't know. Just another thing he mentioned. Not that he said you're cute, but _I_ thought that when I heard it. And your wings really are like bumblepuppy ears!"

Now she sounded like Windstorm, one of the Predacons Starscream had befriended. The one who had let Starscream nap with her in the calm sunlight, and had said before that Seeker names and habits were adorable to her.

Everything was reminding him of home. Starscream forgot his embarrassment, and draped his arms around Ripclaw's neck, going silent. He clung and bounced along, glancing at the plants and smaller creatures below. They came up to some metal barns, with Ripclaw opening the door and entering. Inside, Grimwing was petting some larger robotic life in stables while Blackbeak sat on his shoulder and offered them food. Both were surprised to see Starscream out of the ship, asking him how he was. He was still fuzzy with illness, but he lied to say that he was much better.

Ripclaw carried on, naming the beasts and describing them to him. They went from building to building, then into other fields. She walked slowly and talked much, until Starscream cared much less about being carried. Their projects were interesting and innocent, with such good intentions put into all of them that it warmed his spark. There was much to see from their years of work, years of collecting the supplies, and trapping the animals.

Though Starscream was growing colder and colder, and he pressed closer to the warm Predacon. By the time the sun was descending, he was quaking.

"Let's go into the cave now," she said. "That's where we live. You can have a hot bath."

There was a gaping hole in the rocky ground with a steep slope leading downwards. The roof was high and the tunnel was wide enough that the Predacons could have walked here in their beast forms. A string of artificial lights spotted the wall as Ripclaw carried Starscream to where the ground levelled out. There, puddles of boiling magma at the edges also lit up the cave naturally as they walked toward a wide, slow river.

Divebomb was already submerged in the river, beak tilted back as he soaked his wings. Starscream peered at the black liquid suspiciously, but Ripclaw said, "It's clean. It'll wash you and sweep away the filth. It isn't too hot either."

There was another tunnel on the other side of the river. It was lit as far as Starscream could see, and under the yellow light, Megatron marched forward while a snake-like Predacon slithered at his side. Both were smeared with red blood, some clumps of black stuck in the cracks of their bodies. Megatron glanced at Starscream, who hastily slithered down Ripclaw's back. She gasped as Starscream toppled to the left, his dizziness throwing off his sense of balance. He stumbled and fell onto his side, then rose and dusted himself off self-consciously.

Corhada slid past Megatron into the river and disappeared entirely. Still observing Starscream, Megatron slid into the river, knowing exactly where there was a rock to sit upon. Ripclaw invited Starscream to join her across from him, but Starscream touched his foot into the steaming water first. It burned, too hot, but Megatron was watching with his arms slung back behind him. Starscream stepped into the river and felt for a place to sit. Then, he sat half-submerged in the river, eyes pointed away from Megatron right across from him.

"Good?" Ripclaw asked.

Starscream was getting used to the temperature. He nodded as the cold leaked from his legs. He lowered himself further to remove the chill in his back.

It was silent, awkwardly so to Starscream, as the other Predacons returned. He wanted to know exactly what was going on inside Megatron's head, but he dared not press so soon. Then, once all the Predacons had transformed and nestled into the river, they looked expectantly at Megatron.

 _What are they looking at him for?_

Megatron looked as though he might say something to the Predacons, but then he said nothing at all. Starscream leaned far back and dipped his freezing wings into the hot liquid. It felt like his presence was disrupting something, some bonding moment between the group that they shared at this relaxing time. The powerful and large Predacons, fanged and clawed, were like children waiting for a story from a father. The way Megatron was, once again, so unusual that it made Starscream buzz with discomfort.

He pushed himself forward and started to lay back his head. However, the rock ledge ended, and Starscream slipped under the surface. His yelp was swallowed when his mouth was filled with the warm liquid. Megatron looked up when Starscream splashed and disappeared, then to his right when he re-emerged further down, kicking and spluttering in disgust. He clawed for the riverbank as Predacons let out giggling clicks, even Ripclaw as she snagged him with her tail and set him back beside her. All the while Starscream looked stiff and indignant, as he used to look when he wanted to pretend that something had not happened.

Starscream saw Megatron amused and smirking at him. First, Starscream was irked by the laughter around him, but then, he huffed and smiled. He realized how he must have looked, but still did not mind as somehow, making them laugh felt like a good thing. Starscream stayed still and held his wings under the surface, more careful now when he set back his head.

But eventually, the warmth in his head worsened. Still no one was moving, but Starscream could no longer stand the heat. He crawled out and shook off droplets, leaving so soon to the surprise of the others. Ripclaw prowled out, then escorted him to another section of the cave system without transforming. There was a hole to the night sky, where wind dove through and buffeted them. The cold felt good after the soak, and he stayed until he was dry and freezing again. Then, Ripclaw transformed and led him somewhere new.

"We just power down here," Ripclaw reported as she showed him another room. There was a pit of magma in the center surrounded by smooth stone, which she patted. She had Starscream lay down on it, his wings flat against the warmth of the rock.

"Isn't it nice?"

It was disconcerting to be so close to magma, but Starscream agreed. The rock wasn't as hot as the river had been, more like the temperature of the heat-controlled blanket Optimus had given him. Starscream tried to sleep here as Ripclaw curled up nearby, but he could not manage it as his body seemed to pulse. And strangely enough, he had started to feel both hot and cold in varying flashes.

He heard the others come in after some time. Starscream creaked open his eyes as Predacons stretched and curled on the stone, then he spotted Megatron, shining silver as he strode to a wall. Though his head was turned to Starscream, again startling him with the attention. Starscream wondered what was on his mind, what he would tell him, and if he was concerned about him still. But then Megatron sat against the wall and simply closed his eyes, leaving Starscream to stare.

He had never watched Megatron fall asleep before, and had never really seen him sleep at all. Starscream had seen him injured before, but here Megatron could awaken at any second and get up. Also, seeing Megatron so oddly peaceful was frightening him. It almost seemed like an act, but he knew it wasn't since Megatron had helped him and had yet to get angry over Starscream's retorts. Still, it was hard to accept.

Starscream ended up falling asleep while in the same room as Megatron. He was more tired than he realized, then woke in the morning to whispering. First, it was Megatron's voice, the softest had ever heard it.

" _He should not go out again. He must stay here and rest, lest he damage himself. His internals are sensitive…_ "

Ripclaw murmured, " _What should I do_?"

" _Calm him and make sure that he powers down._ "

So Megatron _was_ worried about him, and he had been asking the Predacons to comfort him. Megatron did not find it right to touch him, but he wanted the others to do it for him.

Starscream kept his eyes closed as everyone left, until it was just him and Ripclaw. Sure enough, when he tried to sit up, Ripclaw stroked him and whispered, "You had too much activity yesterday. You should lie down."

He couldn't help but grow tired as she touched his wings and head. For some reason, the side of him not touching the warm stone felt frigid, so her hands were like pads of heat. And the gentleness helped him forget the reawakened pulsing in his body. Starscream did sleep, but hours later, he woke up freezing and alone.

Even when he rolled, one side always felt cold. Wobbling onto his feet, Starscream then limped for the river. Once there, he lowered himself into it and sighed as all of him was warmed at once. Then, he completely submerged himself, lying on the edge so that the heat covered him from his head to feet. It felt so nice that Starscream dozed off, under the surface, with the current slowly pushing him off the edge. He sank to the bottom, but kept dozing in the cocoon of warmth.

Starscream woke later only when he felt extremely nauseous. He swam up with vision spinning, latching onto an unfamiliar shore. His body had slowly been carried downstream, gliding over the smooth stone, and now he was far from the bathing spot. Lights had been built on the wall this far in, however, so he was not worried. But there were only smooth walls here, so Starscream had to swim on a bit to find a spot to drag himself out. Wearily, he then flopped onto a riverbank to groan and let his dizziness be quelled.

For some reason, the stirring in his gut and the heaviness of his head was not going away. Starscream sat up, mouth pouted in his misery. But standing seemed impossible, and he thought he would vomit if he tried. Still needing time to recover, Starscream stared forward and wondered if anyone was looking for him now. Then, after a long wait, he heard a splashing beside him. With a turn of his head, Starscream spotted Megatron swimming towards him.

It was a bit amusing, to watch him swimming. It was just nothing he had ever pictured Megatron doing. He then came up dripping, and he strolled to Starscream to rumble, "How did you get yourself here, Starscream?"

"I… fell asleep in the river," Starscream murmured, knowing how idiotic he must sound.

"Why did you go there unattended?"

"I was cold," he whispered.

Megatron wrinkled his brows as he scrutinized him. Starscream was shivering in the hot air of the magma caves, so surely there was no way he could be cold. His hand reached out to him; Starscream flinched, then stayed still as Megatron touched the top of his head. He was burning hot, dangerously hot. He hoisted Starscream onto his feet by pulling up on his wings, who stumbled and then was plucked from the ground with protest.

"What are you-"

"Why did you mention nothing before?" Megatron growled as he strode further downstream.

"It is merely a fever." Starscream wiggled, daring to push just slightly against his chest.

"Be still."

"It isn't anything life threatening. After all-"

"If something is wrong with you, then it might have been a mistake on our part. You should have mentioned this once it began."

Megatron clutched him to keep him from sliding down. Starscream gasped in slight pain, and Megatron promptly slackened his hold. A glare was sent Starscream's way, one that told him how foolish Megatron thought he was being. Starscream wouldn't be able to walk anywhere fast on his own, so he might as well accept being carried.

It was hard to relax, but Starscream went limp as Megatron marched up a tunnel. It guided them to the surface, where they emerged far from the nature site. It was only a visible line in the distance, but here there was something else to be seen. Megatron bore Starscream through the eroded and bent ruins of the unknown race that had once lived and died here before Cybertronians had ever discovered the planet. His intrigue distracted him during the journey, where Starscream peered at the ruins and wondered what had become of the creators. This planet was so barren that it was baffling to imagine that something had flourished here once, and that life would only return in a new form thanks to two war criminals and the Predacons.

The wind swept over them, cooling Starscream in Megatron's arms. But the Seeker trembled vigorously, his head rolling as he hated the wind. Quickening his pace, Megatron hurried back to the ship to place Starscream back down on the medical berth. Then Megatron scavenged for tools, and among them, Starscream espied a scalpel.

"What do you think is wrong?" Starscream murmured.

He didn't think it could be anything grave, but Megatron's concern was surprisingly touching. Even knowing that Megatron was going to open him up again and touch his organs no longer bothered him. Starscream lay calmly and let Megatron put him into power down, then in what felt like a second, Starscream was awake again.

Megatron's back was turned as he put everything away.

"How was it?" Starscream asked with a minor slur.

Megatron shook his head. "Nothing seemed to be amiss."

Starscream nodded, the fever far from gone, but he felt rising happiness.

"Well then, thank you for checking regardless."

"I suggest that you continue to rest, so that it is easier to fight off your fever. You should not have been about yesterday."

Once again he nodded, but Starscream wondered how many more days of rest had to happen here on Chaar, instead of on a spaceship to Cybertron.

Megatron only stared, expecting him to sleep here. Clearly, he was still trying to decide if leaving Chaar was worth the risk to himself.

The words started coming out of Starscream. "I sympathize with you. I know what may happen if you are discovered and caught on Cybertron. Nonetheless, I understand. So many know my true identity, so many who wish to harm me. Now that I think about it, they may find a way to reveal my identity once I come back. They will be furious about my return, thus they will either try to kill me or destroy my life. I think that it is inevitable that the world will know me someday, but… even if they hate me, I will pass Trial. You would pass it too, surely, and then we could be free."

"What is this Trial you speak of?"

"They use the cortical psyhic patch and some sort of emotion reader. They go into your mind and have you replay the memories of your crimes, and they observe the emotions that you feel in remembrance of them. If you express regret over your past actions and a desire to change, then you are allowed to re-enter society."

Megatron scowled.

Starscream asked, "What is it?"

"I am not certain if I regret the War."

"Ah…"

"I will always believe that it was necessary," Megatron muttered. "I do not regret every death or battle. Presently, I do not want to cause excessive, unnecessary harm to anyone. I do not wish to rule over a society, especially in an oppressive manner. However, I know that I would still kill without mercy if need be."

Then it seemed that Megatron would not pass, but Starscream did not say that aloud. Instead, he murmured, "We ought to cover our life signals before returning to Cybertron, so that no enemy can track us. There is a technique that criminals have been using, although it is dangerous. They encase their spark chambers with a signal-jamming device. Shockwave could surely install some in us."

Megatron uttered, "You stated that when we arrive, we would have no choice but to reveal ourselves to Optimus and plead for his aid. However, why would he aid me if he is uncertain of my intentions? He would surely want to conduct that trial you spoke of upon me, and then I would fail it."

"So long as he sees that you want to help, he wouldn't care about what all you regret," Starscream replied. "He would see your endeavors on Chaar, your relationships with the Predacons, and how we are interacting at this moment. He would know that you would only help us, then leave peacefully."

When Megatron did not have anything to say, Starscream thought that he must have convinced him. After the pause, Megatron asked, "Why have you not yet had one of these private trials with Optimus?"

To that, Starscream shrugged weakly. "I suppose, he wants me to remember as much as possible before then. It may be because I am always busy and he doesn't want to disturb me. In all honesty, I constantly forget that one day he will give me a Trial. It almost feels like Optimus doesn't care anymore…"

 _That he trusts me just that much_.

Starscream smiled softly, but from his sadness. He remembered when he had been so upset by their spying on him, but they had long since stopped. They had been so kind in retrospect, talking to him, taking him places, even embracing him…

His spark jabbed with pain. Suddenly, he had remembered who he would never see again even once he was back on Cybertron. Aceflight was dead, and Steve had just been snatched from his life. Starscream had never gotten to see him again after his aerial performance. The last time they had been face-to-face, he had been inviting Steve to see him. Now, he would never have Steve rushing to him, gushing over his performance and congratulating him. He had only seen his message, but now that too was gone since it had been a direct text. Starscream's phone was destroyed, and might have been eaten by Predaking when he bit into him.

And Valor too may be dead, but even if he wasn't yet, Mint would be distraught at his loss. Starscream still felt for him, remembering his struggles at the academy. He was no traitor that he could hate, although Valor had unintentionally caused Steve's death, and Shiloh's death too it seemed… Shiloh. That miner vehicon who had had so much determination within him, to fight for vehicons and to become a role model after being traumatized by Ratchet. All three of his vehicons friends who had gone to the academy with him were gone now.

So much would be different once he came back. Starscream pressed his hands over his face as his wings fell down. It was unexpected to Megatron, given that they had only been talking about Trials. Starscream should have been happier, given that he was so confident that he would pass his Trial. Before he could ask anything, Starscream croaked, "Where is Aceflight?"

He trembled and jerked, but dropped his hands. When Megatron saw his eyes, they were shining with a sorrow that Starscream had never expressed during the War. Already, Starscream was setting himself onto his feet. He wobbled and stepped up to Megatron, waiting to be led.

"Why do you wish to see him?" Megatron asked.

Starscream did not answer, but he continued to stare with need.

Megatron conceded, turning to lead Starscream into the hall. He slowed down so that Starscream could keep up, though he kept a wary eye on him, wondering if he should carry him. But at this time, Starscream would definitely refuse to be carried. Starscream walked on, but slowed gradually, his eyes closing as his mouth quivered.

He didn't know why he wanted to see Aceflight's body until they were halfway there. Then it became clear, that Starscream was in denial. He had wanted to imagine that he was still alive, that since Ripclaw had fixed his neck, he would be okay. Part of him even wished that the awful truths of the Allspark had all been invented by his mind. But then Starscream realized that it was a hopeless belief, and that Aceflight was not like him. He wasn't coming back.

Somewhere in this ship, his friend was lying in perfect condition. He would be on his back with his eyes closed, as though nothing was wrong with him. With that mental image, Starscream stopped in his tracks and swayed from fever and grief. He leaned into the wall, twitching and aching both outside and in. He couldn't look at Aceflight's body again. Not again, as he replayed his death and remembered floating with his corpse in orbit.

Starscream recalled the crack of Aceflight's neck. His guts felt sickeningly full suddenly, and Starscream swung from a colossal loss of balance. He dropped onto his knees and one hand, with the other arm wrapped over his abdomen. Without warning, he purged onto the floor all the energon he had drank and something else of a strange, yellow colour. He blinked, stared at it, then coughed out more of it.

"Wh...what is that?" Starscream groaned before a final retch.

Megatron lifted him to his feet. Starscream had never seen anything of that colour leave someone's mouth before. The world tilted one way and another as Starscream gazed at Megatron's face. What he saw there was confusion and concern.

"There is indeed something wrong with you," Megatron uttered.

"What is it?" Starscream mumbled. He tipped back toward the wall, but Megatron steadied him with a tight, slightly painful hold.

"I am uncertain. I should allow the others to examine you and give their opinion. Come, Starscream."

Megatron swept him off the ground, the movement so swift that it made Starscream feel like he had momentarily left his body. Then, it was another rush to the medical room. Megatron contacted the Predacons through a commlink, then in the next second, he was forcing Starscream into a power down.

He had hardly anytime to register what was happening, or to even grow as worried as Megatron was. Starscream was knocked out once again, then Megatron sliced him open while all six Predacons hurried back to the ship.

* * *

Starscream awoke after yet another surgery, the world fuzzy around him. His head felt so heavy now that it felt as though he would never raise it again. The rest of his body was light, and then he was cold again, quaking in the berth.

Hadn't they fixed him? It did not seem so, as Megatron and the six Predacons looked over him in alarm. No, something was wrong, and that scared Starscream.

"What is it?" he gasped feebly.

"We don't know," Ripclaw murmured. "We must have done something wrong… We're so sorry, Starscream. We aren't doctors. We need Shockwave. Only he will know how to heal you."

She then turned her head to Megatron. He spoke.

"We must put you in stasis so that you will not perish before we meet him."

"What?" Starscream gasped. "No, I cannot wait that long. Please, if you must put me in stasis… at least take me to a doctor on Cybertron."

"You should be healed before your arrival to Cybertron," Megatron said. "Otherwise, you will be vulnerable."

"But I would still have to wait two-"

"I have another solution," Megatron cut him off. "We will put you in stasis and begin our journey to Cybertron. Shockwave will meet us halfway and treat you onboard. Then, we will travel to Cybertron together."

He gaped at the unexpected solution. No other suggestion could have been better than that.

"R-really?"

"We will only contact him once we are far from Chaar, in case our message is intercepted. It is unlikely that it will be, but we will still be at risk."

"Megatron… thank you," Starscream breathed. "From the bottom of my spark…"

That was a lot that Megatron was sacrificing for him. Based on what Stormrazor had said too, that was fear that Megatron was overcoming. He needed to know how grateful he was for everything he had done, for even finding him and fixing his ravaged body. Oh, for once it seemed that the universe had aligned for him instead of against him. If Megatron hadn't decided that the worst planet known to the Decepticons should be his refuge… Starscream would have floated lifelessly around it for centuries perhaps.

When Megatron picked him up this time, he was perfectly content. He felt fluffy with happiness from the knowledge that he was going home.

"Thank you," he continued to whisper, right up to the stasis pod they arrived to. Megatron opened it, then carefully stood Starscream up in it. It would be like surgery, with a blink and a time passage. Though this time, months would simply vanish.

Megatron tucked in his wings, then closed the door on him. Starscream stared at him and clutched a ledge that was just below his chin. Those red eyes met his, and in Megatron's eyes, Starscream saw that his own excitement and love for home had infected Megatron too.

Yes, Cybertron was and would always be their home planet. Both of them were united in that feeling, the loving connection of their individual sparks to their creator in the core. Starscream realized it before he was frozen in time, that Megatron had never been intending to stay away forever. He had wondered constantly about the state that Cybertron was in, yearning to see what had changed in his absence.

Thus, in just less than a decade, Megatron's exile had ended. Reunited with his former first lieutenant, they were returning to the home that would have, upon discovering their identities, gladly torn them apart.


	33. Chapter 32: Dare to Fight

For Starscream, it was faster than a blink. He had been oblivious to all the conversations, stress, and preparations the others had needed to go through. The door hissed open, and Starscream tottered into Megatron with a gasp. He was gingerly extracted from the stasis pod and immediately sent into the med bay. They passed by the blue and red of Ripclaw, and Starscream thought he glimpsed the green of Grimwing, but no Predacon followed them.

The purple bulk of Shockwave turned when they came in, who had been trying to make the enamoured Vertebreak sit still in the corner. Just the glance told Starscream that this Predacon was deeply attached to Shockwave, dumb but loyal. He wanted to be near the scientist, but clearly the large beast had the habit of getting in Shockwave's way.

Starscream was stretched out onto the berth, where Shockwave lumbered up to him and studied his reawakened, feverish cringing. Shockwave could not express himself like others could, yet Starscream sensed that he was interested in finding out what was wrong with him. It was the first time he would be under Shockwave's scalpel, but Starscream felt no fear as the former mad scientist took over.

He was put into power down again, and when he woke up, he felt quite different. Foremost, his body was light and refreshed, so healthy that Starscream almost felt like leaping out of the berth and flying. All sickness was gone, and somehow in a flash, many of his aches had vanished as well.

Starscream sat up rather easily, glancing from Megatron in the corner to the three Predacons now crowded into the room.

"The error that led to your illness has been resolved. Additionally, there was an energy within you that I recognized," Shockwave rumbled. Starscream glanced up to the red eye hovering over him. "You forced a combination with one of my projects; Megatron confirms it. I have removed this energy from you after repairing your internals."

Starscream's eyes flared wide.

"So you are saying... I now have _all_ of my memories back?"

He had expected a large change, but it wasn't anything that he just suddenly felt. Starscream had to frantically start thinking about random topics to realize that there was no hindrance. Starscream thought back to the early days of the War, trying to find these unlocked memories. No headaches came as he easily grasped onto things he hadn't remembered before, the smaller details of many random things.

Then he thought of his recent time on Earth, and he accidentally thought to himself, _What are the worst things that happened to me?_ He should not have searched for reasons to be angry, but he could not stop himself from wondering. For each Autobot and Decepticon face he had recently seen, he sought out the worst memories attached to them.

There was much that came to mind, and to be slapped with all of his bitter emotions at once almost tipped him over. Yet Starscream had known this would come one day, and he tried to fight off himself. It was harder than he ever thought it would be, his emotions and thought processes so sharp, merciless. For one, he could think faster than before, which made it easy to convince himself of any one thing.

 _They all never cared about me at all on Earth, and they only brought me back to use me. They only love Moonwing, those Autobots. They hate what I am- Starscream! Ultra Magnus attacked me when he thought I had recovered my memories. Arcee struck me, and the others alienated me and still do to an extent. They wanted to brainwash me-_

 _No, they grew kinder even as I recovered more memories. They are willing to befriend me as Starscream._

 _Why are they only kind now? They never helped me when I was most vulnerable. Nobody gave me free kindness on Earth._

 _I killed one of their friends and harmed them as well. It is understandable that they despised me._

The three Predacon faces approached behind Shockwave. Ripclaw's, Grimwing's, and the beast face of Vertebreak.

"Starscream?" Ripclaw blinked, observing his facial expression. "What is wrong?"

He dragged his hands over his head. There was a pause before he forced himself to be honest. "These emotions all coming back at once… I fear that I might not be able to handle them…"

Starscream tried to ignore Shockwave and Megatron for now, looking at the Predacons who had never been anything but friendly to him. He knew looking at Megatron especially would infuriate him and darken his thoughts.

"Of course you can manage this," Ripclaw urged him. "You learned so much, I know you have."

"What do you feel?" Grimwing prompted him to speak more.

"...Hatred," Starscream muttered. "A desire for revenge against everyone who has slighted me in the past."

"Hasn't everyone apologized to you, in some way?" Ripclaw prompted him. "Even if not verbally, can't you think of things they have done to help you?"

He could, yet all he wanted to do was reject it for some reason. He was itching to bring out his claws as his wings stiffened behind him.

"I _know_ they have helped." Starscream gritted his teeth. "But all I can think about is their past readiness to harm me, how their faces beheld me with such disdain…"

"That doesn't matter," Ripclaw murmured. "They won't hurt you anymore."

He snapped, "Of _course_ it matters. How can-"

The Predacon lunged over the berth and smothered him in a hug. He shut up instantly as her thick arms tightened around him.

She waited a minute, making sure that Starscream was completely relaxed. Then, she said, "Everyone is going to be very happy to see you alive. I promise."

Starscream dully nodded.

"All you want is to be loved. I know," Ripclaw said, Grimwing nodding along. "You aren't the only one who feels that way."

His swift and vengeful thoughts burned out, though memories were still flickering within as his eyes stared forward. Controlling himself was so difficult, and he wished that Shockwave hadn't removed the energy from him. Starscream frightened himself. It was like a ghost had overtaken him, someone cold and unfamiliar. But the Predacon held him and warmed him, and he started to feel innocent again, craving comfort during this stressful time.

Even if Shockwave and Megatron were watching, he didn't want Ripclaw to leave. He started remembering how lonely and spiteful his old life had been, when there was no one in the universe who loved him. She was right; that was all he wanted.

Starscream clung to her midriff, knowing that he would never go back to how he had been. But of course they would have to move, and Starscream was filled in by the time he got up and walked to the front of the ship. They were only three months deep into their journey, and Shockwave had met them in space after abandoning his mission. The Predacon Stormrazor had come just to fly Shockwave's ship back to Chaar. That way, if Shockwave and Megatron did not come back, the Predacons would not be stuck on Chaar to perish. They knew how to make his synthetic energon, but that too required other supplies not on Chaar.

Vertebreak, Divebomb, Grimwing, and Ripclaw had chosen to come on the journey while the others stayed behind to care for the creatures. Divebomb was currently steering the ship, Vertebreak said nothing and was here for Shockwave, but Grimwing and Ripclaw were vocal about wanting to fix the situation with the Predacons on Cybertron.

"I do not know them, but my brethren are suffering," Ripclaw said. "I want to do something to help them. In whatever way possible. My race is being targeted for how they were forged, and I cannot stand it!"

Grimwing interjected, "You said that the irate Predacons are turning hostile. If Predacons are harming others, they must be swayed. Our people should not use our strength against your kind; it is dishonourable and repulsive."

Indeed. Starscream remembered the bots that had been eaten, and how Predaking had sunk his fangs into him. A shiver ran down his back.

Divebomb threw over his shoulder, "If I see any of it, I'll fight them off, brethren or not."

Starscream started to wonder if their zeal was safe. Then, Megatron mentioned that they only had enough energon for the trip. Most of what they had on Chaar had been exhausted, and they would be in danger if their ship entered combat. Hearing this, Starscream wanted to assure them that he was grateful they were doing this for him.

"There might be something else you can do, Shockwave, of utmost importance," Starscream proclaimed, after thinking of Predaking. "You were the only one who knew the completed formula for synthetic energon. No one could recover your half of the formula… You can not only give Cybertron the key to unlimited energon, but your knowledge might be able to finalize the cure for the energon-sucking disease. The sickness is based off the unstable formula, but perhaps knowing the stable formula can eliminate it. And if there is a cure to the disease, then the organization cannot use it as a weapon against Cybertronians."

Saying that soothed Starscream. He was realizing how fortunate Cybertron was that these two outcasts were coming back.

Megatron and Shockwave were not sure what they were going to tell their violent followers once they returned, or how they would spread the message. They were uncertain, as well, if their followers would be willing to change their criminal ways just because their leaders said so. It was likely that they might turn on Megatron and Shockwave, branding them as traitors to the cause.

"Some will join you, at least," Starscream replied and looked to Megatron. "We will have Soundwave once you convince him, and I believe that will severely weaken the enemy instantaneously."

Starscream hoped that Slipstream would also abandon the fight after hearing Megatron. She was the last of his original lieutenants, and the weight of that hurt more now that he had just lost Skywarp again before realizing it. He didn't want Slipstream to get hurt, in fact, he wished he could have her here alongside him.

Shockwave and Megatron would have to plan how to sway the Forged and the Decepticons during the rest of their long travel. Starscream realized too, that he was somehow going to have to pass this time. How could he do that, when every day he would be fretting about his friends on Cybertron? Friends, yes, for now the tender memories were overpowering the past ones of pain. He wasn't sure about Ultra Magnus, but Starscream's spark pulsed faster when he imagined returning and hearing that a member of Team Prime had died.

Ripclaw and Grimwing were insightful enough to understand Starscream's worries. The Predacons played with suggestions.

"I know it's a long ride," Grimwing told Starscream. "If you want something to do, maybe you could teach us things? Shockwave educated us on our long trips. Why don't you give us lessons and tests about anything you want?"

"Alright," he agreed.

They left Shockwave and Megatron at the controls, with the Predacons crowding and pushing Starscream into another room. They had become more energetic at his agreement, the four of them sitting on the floor to leave him standing in front of them. All but Vertebreak were in bot-form, eyes bright and mouths ready for questions. Starscream was flushed with embarrassment, never having been in a teacher's position before, and never with bots so excited to listen to him.

"Ah, what is it that you want to know?" Starscream stammered.

"Oh, you could teach us Earthian," Ripclaw suggested. "That would take some time."

Starscream wrinkled his brows. "What?"

"The Earth language," she tried to elaborate.

Then, Starscream smirked. "Ah. No. Humans do not share one common language. There are _thousands_ of languages on Earth. However, the most widespread would be the English language."

"Thousands?" Ripclaw blinked. "By the Allspark, why so many?"

Starscream began to explain it, then realized this commenced the lecture.

"Ooh," Divebomb blinked. Vertebreak, who hadn't transformed at all yet, opened his eyes in interest. He sat like a dog as he listened and learned.

"So can all humans comprehend English?" Grimwing asked.

Starscream answered, "No. However, many countries on Earth have their youth learn the language in school."

"What is a _country_?" Divebomb asked.

Then, Starscream smiled. He had despised human culture when he was on Earth, but now he realized just how much he had learned. It was fun sharing his knowledge, which had only grown stronger because of those movies he had been watching with Knockout. And apparently, the Predacons had no knowledge of Earth itself, with Megatron and Shockwave teaching them other things first like Standard Cybertronian, Cybertronian history, biology, chemistry…

So this _would_ take a long time, which was excellent.

"You know," Ripclaw said, "it might be best to get some Datapads. And maybe a projector out so Starscream can show us things."

They paused the lesson to gather the materials from storage, then they set up a way for Starscream to draw on a screen that would be projected on the wall behind him. Now, he really did feel like a teacher, which he found he was enjoying. Vertebreak transformed at last, fumbling an electronic pen into his hand so that he could take notes too. Once, Starscream had hated Predacons, but the group in front of him was determined and dear.

He continued to speak and answer their questions.

* * *

The Predacons took so much of Starscream's attention that he saw Megatron and Shockwave less. That was fine for now, so that Starscream could get accustomed to being in a peaceful environment with them. Sometimes, at the thought of an unpleasant memory, a scowl crossed his face. Or Starscream would think too much about Aceflight, who was still resting in a private room. But then, a Predacon would notice that something was off with him, and call to him in the hall in their best English. They would ask innocent questions, just to imprint a smile onto his face.

When he did sneak into the front, Megatron and Shockwave would sometimes be in quiet discussion. He didn't know what they did to occupy the time, and how they were not bored. Perhaps Shockwave taught Megatron as well, since clearly he had already taught Megatron the basic of their bodies.

Starscream did not really have any purpose for checking in on them, and he dared not pester them about how much time remained. He mostly came just to be friendly, but he could never think of anything to talk about. The conversations related to the space outside of them, as banal as talking about the weather on Cybertron. Not that he felt unwelcome, but the awkwardness was heavy as he stood beside the seats where they sat.

When Megatron wasn't there one day, Shockwave explained that he had gone off to exercise. So that was one way he occupied himself. The Predacons already knew of it, then showed Starscream where he was training at the end of the ship. He heard the bangs and scrapes, as though a fight was going on within the room. The door cracked open, then Starscream saw a weighted ball soar against the room, much heavier than himself- and crash into a wall. The crash made him stumble, scaring him temporarily into believing that Megatron had broken the ship with that lob.

The room was dented and scratched, but it remained sturdy. Megatron noticed immediately when the Predacons and Starscream had come in, and he paused his workout for a minute. There was not much in the room except for the ball, but Megatron was determined to do what he could to stay in top shape. Starscream had been taking himself on walks, also wanting to get stronger, but Megatron's exercises were brutish and frightening to him.

It was a bit of a reminder of how strong and savage he could be. When Megatron stared at him, Starscream decided that he did not want to interrupt him. He backed out, apologizing for disturbing him, and took the Predacons back to the "classroom".

"I thought you knew about that room," Divebomb said to Starscream. "We go there too, but I guess that is when you're recharging. It's the biggest space in the ship, good for running around and stretching your legs."

Vertebreak rumbled, "Good to fight in there."

It was some of the very few words he uttered, aside from when he repeated after Starscream during "class".

They were four months in, and Starscream was inspired to do more to strengthen himself. He started jogging around the halls and into that room when Megatron wasn't there. It was like the step-by-step process of when he had been Moonwing. Once he was quite good at running, he tried transforming and flying up and down the hall. Everyone heard him, but let him be when he wanted to workout. Only once he was feeling better, in the fifth month, he let the Predacons watch him fly.

In the larger room, he was practicing his twists and turns. They collected at the side, their heads turning to follow the jet wherever it went. Astonished by his quick cuts and dips, they gasped and whistled, then stamped the ground when he was done in an applause.

"You are as good as Megatron said," Divebomb grinned.

"I suppose that was the main reason he kept me alive," Starscream answered, striding up to them.

The Predacons bragged about him to Shockwave and Megatron. The two were not impressed, in the way that they already knew of Starscream's abilities. And then it appeared that Starscream was just showing off and encouraging the Predacons to praise him. Flustered, he tried to silence the Predacons when he caught them prattling on about him.

Starscream got bored of the air training quite quickly. Around the halfway point of their journey, he decided he was going to need fight training. Cybertron might be in a dangerous state when they returned, or at least there might be some who would try to kill him. But when Starscream asked the Predacons to practice with him, they were aghast.

"What?" Ripclaw protested. "We don't want to fight you. We might hurt you. And aren't you still recovering?"

"Go easy for now," Starscream said. He knew he couldn't push himself at this point too.

They stayed in bot-form and sparred with him a bit, where all Starscream did was dodge their very light blows without attacking. The agile twists he performed hurt his core in the beginning, but Starscream got used to it over time.

"Go faster," he started to instruct them. "And try to grab me."

They cautiously obeyed, but Starscream could tell that Ripclaw, Grimwing, and Divebomb were too afraid to hurt him. To them, he was very small and breakable. Fortunately, Vertebreak was simpler than they were. He was rough and loved any opportunity to play, so Starscream started inviting him into the gym area more often. The wingless Predacon would rush at him and enthusiastically chase him, managing to corner him and grasp Starscream in his hands at times.

Starscream was avoiding transforming fully, trying to imagine he was in close quarters or a situation where he couldn't transform. The other Predacons were displeased by the little scratches Starscream obtained, scolding Vertebreak a bit for them.

Vertebreak never cared or remembered their disapproval in the gym. He was perfect the day Starscream asked them to transform into beasts, when the others quickly refused.

"I'm not going to attack you like that!" Divebomb looked horrified.

"That would not be fair," Ripclaw said. "We're too strong."

This annoyed Starscream far more than their pulled blows had been. He growled, "Do not underestimate me. I have trained to fight your kind before, and I have battled Predacons as well. You may be stronger than me, but it does not mean that I cannot defeat you."

The three Predacons looked dubiously at each other, as though prompting each other to break the news to Starscream.

"Starscream," Grimwing rumbled. "We know you are a much better flier than we can ever be. You are superb in defensive maneuvers, but you do not have the ability to face off one of us in combat. You were not built that way."

Starscream was only aggravated more. They sounded a bit like the ancient Predacon now and all those she had convinced.

"Everyone has weak points," Starscream hissed. "I can strike any lumbering Predacon before they could stop me."

He had not been so rude to them before, but he remembered his team of Seekers. He felt like they were dishonouring the Air Command with their beliefs.

"My team have arrested Predacons before with no injury to themselves," he continued. "We developed a fighting style based on our superior agility and reflexes."

Starscream thought of Sunchaser, and how he had seen three of his Predacon friends fail to catch hold of him. He had weaved around their claws, wings, and tails, never transforming. Starscream wanted to slap these Predacons with shock.

Still, these three refused to fight him as beasts. So Starscream waited until they were recharging, then stole Vertebreak, who preferred to sleep alone beside where Shockwave sat.

"I won't be any good at the start," Starscream said. "But I need your help to practice. I may be in a situation like this on Cybertron."

Vertebreak was already in beast form, but he nodded. He lunged like a tiger, claws outstretched for him. Such an obvious attack was easy for Starscream to duck under, which left Vertebreak skidding over the floor. The Predacon had only ever fought his brethren and some large Chaar monsters, and he realized that fighting something as small as Starscream was something else entirely. It was going to be tricky.

Vertebreak kept his jumps low, and swiped and snapped at Starscream. He was a ground Predacon through and through, thus he too was agile and sharp. Starscream was surprised by his swiftness, but he was glad he wasn't going easy on him. The Seeker slipped and twisted out of danger, grabbing onto Vertebreak's arms to help him escape. The Predacon hadn't expected him to grab him as much as he did, but that was the key to Starscream's strategy. He was always frustratingly close, and Vertebreak struggled to pin him down.

Warm, Starscream panted and trotted backwards across the room. Vertebreak thundered after him and lashed out, managing to nick Starscream's side. He paused, seeing a thin trickle of blood, but continued because Starscream hadn't stopped. At last, he clamped his beak over Starscream's throat, slowing down at the last second before he would have killed him. That left Starscream standing, held in place with his neck in the Predacon's mouth.

"Alright, you won," he muttered. Vertebreak let go and looked pleased. "But we need a way for me to win as well. Obviously, I can't shoot or scratch you, otherwise I would have targeted your joints. So you should try to prevent me from touching your joints, and if I can reach them, then I will win."

They started up anew, but Starscream was so exhausted that he didn't last as long. Vertebreak picked him up by the wing and held him up in the air.

"Let's try again tomorrow," Starscream grumbled, glad that no one else was around to judge him right now.

Vertebreak started to swing him side-to-side, a purr in his throat.

"Okay, that is enough. Put me down!"

He dropped Starscream onto his feet and trailed him into the hall. When Starscream went to sleep, Vertebreak simply wandered back to Shockwave.

* * *

The other Predacons noticed how Starscream had been roughed up. They immediately accused their comrade, Vertebreak, but Starscream insisted that all had gone well. Whenever he could, Starscream kept sneaking off with Vertebreak to train. His endurance was increasing, and he was getting faster. And now, Vertebreak had to remember to defend himself when his quarry suddenly ducked under him to attack. He had to scramble back, but sometimes he was not quick enough, and Starscream would slap the inside of his elbow. Then, Vertebreak would pretend to limp on whichever limb that had been struck.

During a fight, Starscream heard the door open. Thinking it was a Predacon, he pretended he did not notice, focusing hard on Vertebreak. He rolled and dodged his slashes, swinging around his arms and even climbing over the Predacon. Starscream latched onto his tail for a moment and even used it to sweep in closer to Vertebreak's leg. He tapped his knee, then Vertebreak feigned injury. They finished there, with the Predacon smiling with his beak as Starscream turned.

Megatron was at the door. Starscream jumped, wings up, then felt quite pleased that Megatron had seen him succeed in something.

"Well done, Starscream."

Starscream jumped again. "Aher… Thank you…"

Vertebreak transformed and stated, "He is very quick. You should try catching him."

The words hadn't been wisely chosen, but Starscream reeled back at the mere possibility of fighting Megatron.

"N-no," Starscream quickly answered.

"But you wanted to train?" Vertebreak looked confused, because he thought that he had had understood something for once that his brethren hadn't.

" _We_ were training," Starscream stressed.

"It is better to practice with different bots, right?" Vertebreak grunted.

For once, Starscream wished the Predacon could be as silent as he usually was. And he hated the interest in Megatron's eyes. Why was he so interested? He even seemed intrigued by Starscream.

"No," Starscream repeated.

Hating this pressure, he hurriedly slipped past Megatron to escape into the hall.

* * *

Apparently, Vertebreak had mentioned that Starscream could beat him in many of their fights. Shocked, the other Predacons came to see if it was true. In the spacious room, Starscream concentrated on Vertebreak, desperate to prove himself. Fortunately, he was so familiar with Vertebreak that he could move without hardly thinking. Starscream was always a hair's breadth away from danger, dodging beak and claws while using Vertebreak's own body to lunge at him.

When Starscream was victorious, their jaws had dropped. That was the tipping point that made them willing to fight with him. In the seventh month, Starscream experimented with the different Predacons and learned new tactics. Ripclaw and Grimwing were four-legged and strong, but Divebomb was interesting since he stood on two legs, bird-like, and he lashed out with his sharp wings.

He lost at first, but learned to defeat them as he had with Vertebreak. They started bragging about him to Megatron and Shockwave again, who had been keeping to themselves all the while. Megatron had been leaving Starscream alone, but he crept in one day during a noisy fight with Divebomb. He was squawking and suspended in the air, trying to nip Starscream off his foot. When Starscream did win, Starscream turned and noticed that Megatron was squeezed in among the Predacons.

Megatron stood and said nothing, but watched the next fight before a break was taken. He then left, and the Predacons started clamouring.

"It might do you good to practice with him," Divebomb said. "You won't just be fighting Predacons, right?"

"Megatron could probably give you good tips," Grimwing added.

Ripclaw assured him, "He wouldn't hurt you."

Grimwing nodded. "You are much more at risk fighting us, for we might scratch or bite you accidentally. Megatron would be less likely to injure you."

Starscream's eyes burned. "Megatron was a gladiator and the leader of the Decepticons. When he fights, he kills. It is foolish to underestimate what he is capable of."

The damage of Megatron's workouts was still clear in the room.

"Megatron is experienced," Ripclaw murmured. "He would know when to stop. And he wouldn't be trying to hurt you. I know that may be hard for you to believe…"

Starscream grimaced. How well did they truly know his past relationship with Megatron?

"You were brave to fight us," Grimwing said. "If you can be brave enough to practice with Megatron, it would benefit you."

Yes, he knew that. But his spark faltered to imagine Megatron in front of him. Throughout these months, he could never be at ease with Megatron standing beside him. Sitting was fine, but when he stood and moved his arms along with his words… Starscream flinched out of habit everytime, his hands moving up defensively. He imagined aggressive movements where there were none, expecting to be hit.

He refused again, then retreated back to the berth to rest. Though the adamant Predacons must have talked behind his back, because the next day Megatron stood in the middle of the training room. And no one was going to let Starscream leave until he had faced his fears, because that was the biggest point of all this.

 _Why like this?_ he only thought.

Megatron beckoned him; Starscream obediently came over, but his wings were halfway lowered and tight.

"You fear me more than Predacons," Megatron stated. "I realize that you have reason to, but I assure you that you have nothing to fear from me anymore. I will not harm you."

Starscream didn't know how this was supposed to start. He was afraid of an unexpected attack. But, Megatron was seeking more consent before starting.

"You and I have fought once before," Megatron reminded him.

"That was a mistake," Starscream murmured.

"Though long ago, I remember being impressed," Megatron continued. "You are faster than I am, agile as a Seeker. Your arrogance assured my swift victory, but if you are without arrogance, you can be a formidable fighter."

Starscream stayed silent.

"Your bravery is apparent as you combat the Predacons. You are confident now, but not foolishly arrogant. And you have accepted your fighting style, understanding that defeating stronger opponents requires different skills."

Starscream thought, however, that Predacons would be easier to fight in beast-forms than Megatron. They were so large that he could go under them, climb over them, and use their appendages. Megatron was even better protected, since his joints were well covered. Predacon joints were large and exposed, big yellow targets. What could he possibly to do the invincible wall of Megatron? Punch him, claw him, and Megatron would carry on. Perhaps Starscream could hit his eyes or neck, but Megatron would never let that happen, surely.

Ever since their one fight, Starscream had just accepted that he would never beat Megatron. He grew more and more scared of Megatron over the years too, until he didn't dare fight back even if Megatron was hurting him.

"Even if you cannot land powerful blows, an accumulation of lesser blows can defeat your opponent," Megatron added. "You are likely imagining, that you cannot hurt me. But it is possible, Starscream, if you persist. You have to be able to strike more blows than your opponent can upon you. You must weaken them by whatever means necessary, even if it is mere blood loss from countless cuts. Any opportunity to wound your opponent should be taken."

Starscream noddly dumbly, still thinking about how the fight was going to start. His legs felt weak in anticipation.

Ripclaw called out, "You could try to graze him with your fingers twenty times, Starscream! You can pretend to scratch him, and that can be how you win!"

All he imagined was that Megatron would smack away his hands or grab his wrists in a crushing grip.

Since Starscream had been nodding a bit to his words, Megatron assumed he could begin with something light.

"So shall we begin?" he asked.

Starscream's wings pressed right back. His eyes were moon-wide, screaming no at him. It put Megatron in an uncomfortable position, where he wanted to push Starscream just a bit so that he would realize the change between them. He pulled back one arm, readying an easy punch, but Starscream locked in place. His knees bent suddenly, but Starscream stopped himself from falling into the habitual begging position. Still, he didn't even try to dodge, but just raised his hands up to cover his face.

"Starscream," Megatron groaned his name in that way again, when he thought he was being idiotic. Starscream put down his hands and twitched.

Vertebreak screeched and tore across the floor. Starscream reacted instantly, skidding away and dodging the snaps of his beak. A few seconds later, Megatron dove in to take the Predacon's place. He swung out at Starscream, who moved before realizing that the attack had come from Megatron. There was a gasp, but Megatron pursued him, fists coming from all angles. Starscream hopped back across the room, weaving and escaping, but never diving in for an attack of his own. That was fine; it was a start. Starscream had been sent into the mood, until he came close to the wall. There, he gave up and went still again, letting Megatron corner him.

"Why did you stop?" Megatron uttered. Starscream did not know what to say either.

Grimwing called out, "You did well, Starscream!"

He twitched, too shocked by the attack. It had felt a bit real for him.

"Attack me," Megatron said.

Starscream stared at him.

"Come on!" Divebomb trilled. "Make him move, Starscream!"

"You're very quick!" Ripclaw exclaimed. "You change directions so easily. We know you are a good fighter!"

 _Not as good as he is._

"You don't have to win," Grimwing said. "Just try!"

Megatron tried to grab him, and this time Starscream dashed away, pelting back into the center of the room to give himself time to think. But Megatron was hot on his trail, so he had to rely on instincts. His blood felt hot as the thick fists came at him, no sword or blaster, but they could still be deadly to him. Starscream danced and ran around the room, avoiding the walls now to stay in the open. When it was clear no more would come out of today's practice, Megatron stopped. Starscream was looking a bit too scared for his liking, taking the fight too seriously.

Now the important part: ending peacefully to assure him that they could train without pain. Megatron praised Starscream, who had froze again, then briefly put his hand on his shoulder. This would have to do for now.

* * *

The next day, Megatron came back. At once, Starscream started dodging his attacks, but during the entire practice, he never attacked him. A week later, Megatron started going harder, and Starscream dodged faster without noticing much change. Slowly, Megatron added combinations and kicks, easing Starscream into it. Starscream never got hit, but only because never took the risk of coming close.

Though he was vicious with the Predacons, with his razor claws often unsheathed to cling to the battleground or to whisk the air over their joints. Megatron asked him to bear them for their fight, but Starscream only obeyed that much. He just kept fleeing, his claws unused. Even this attempt to make Starscream more comfortable didn't work.

Month eight. Starscream, who did constant matches, had great endurance. The Predacons wore themselves out in their desperation to catch him, although they too had grown more skilled over time. Starscream had to be faster and more agile, clever even, to make the Predacons expose their less armoured underbellies.

In this month, something unexpected happened. Megatron, after approaching Starscream, asked him if he would like to try some of his exercises. Hesitantly, Starscream agreed, coming to him after giving the Predacons a lesson on fruit.

"You would do well with some strength training," Megatron explained.

It felt like academy training all over again. Compared to the fight training with Megatron, this was a healthy relief. He did every drill, which started off with lifting smaller things in different ways, before he pushed the largest ball around the room until his back and legs hurt.

Megatron had wanted them to be alone, just so that Starscream got used to calm times with him. They ended up making a habit, where Megatron did the exercises with him. Of course, he lifted much, much heavier things and could do more reps. But Starscream didn't flinch or jump as much when Megatron dropped or threw something.

Starscream was a bit stronger by the ninth month, and he had less to fear. When Megatron pulled out his broadsword, it was terrifying only for a little while. It became like a Predacon arm that Starscream could duck under and avoid. A little later, Megatron added in a few low-powered blasts here and there. First, Starscream yelped, but then he grew accustomed. The Predacons too, coughed out a little fire at him now and then just so he would know what to expect.

The room was wrecked after the abuse it took, but that gave Starscream the chance to get used to rough terrain. He mastered recovering from trips, slipping on melted, smooth surfaces, and jumping over holes. Megatron was ahead of him here though, much more used to having his feet buried in ruined ground for fights. Since he was going harder nowadays, Megatron accidentally clipped him with a punch or cut Starscream a bit during their fights. Luckily, it didn't scare off Starscream. Lately, it seemed that he was enjoying the fights more as terror disappeared from his eyes.

Starscream stopped worrying about the little things like Megatron standing, raising his arms when he spoke, or walking up to him. He stopped believing that Megatron would maim or kill him during a fight, since he had always pulled back a moment before impaling him or punching him out cold. He knew that Megatron was legitimately trying to teach him, not making it easy for him while offering tips occasionally.

He also stopped minding when Megatron touched him, for reassurance or to correct his position during a workout. Starscream tolerated it first, then grew to like his touches like he liked everyone else's. Once he reached that level of trust, things changed.

They were in the middle of a fight when Starscream attacked him. He lunged in and raked his unclawed fingers over Megatron's chest, sneaking in under the sword. After that, Starscream never stopped trying, dodging, then jumping close to try to get a hit. Mostly, he was thrown back, but he was able to feign scratching his arms a few times.

"Good, Starscream."

But he had to be more clever, and faster. He flew in and out, like a thrusting dagger, seeking opportunities. It was too hard to fool Megatron into making a movement he wanted, since he could predict everything. Yet Starscream was able to fight the Predacons much better in beast or bot-form, thanks to Megatron's help. Megatron even paused their fights sometimes, giving him examples of mistakes an opponent might make. Starscream soaked it all up.

The tenth month marked the approximate end of their journey, for Cybertronian months were long while the years had less of them. Shockwave had started working on their signal-disguisers while the other Predacons took turns steering the ship. Before, Shockwave had been walking around the ship every day for exercise, even lifting some of the weights on his own, but now he was stuck in a lab to fiddle with materials.

Then, one-by-one, Shockwave operated on them all. He made Ripclaw watch, so that she could install the case around his spark. All of them ached for a week, refraining from training. In that time, Starscream relaxed in the front by Megatron and Shockwave. There, the Predacons sat in a cluster behind them and asked for stories from Megatron, exciting ones like the escape from Aquatron. Sitting content, Starscream listened to the simplified tales Megatron gave that softened the goriest details.

They recommenced fight training, until Shockwave warned them that they would be in range of detection of Cybertron any day now. Starscream would have to be at the front to answer if they were called, so he had to stay there.

His spark pounded in his body that felt so healthy and sharp. The time had passed by faster than he could have dreamed of, but he still feared what he would come home to.

Starscream was sleeping in a chair when beeps sounded from the controls. He gasped loudly and tripped on his way to the front, hearing his spark as though it was beating in his head. They could not yet see Cybertron, but the planet had detected them.

"This is the Cybertronian Space Station of the Hydrax Plateau," announced the unfamiliar voice of an Autobot employee. "Unidentified spacecraft. State your name and intention."

Shockwave, Megatron, and the Predacons were dead silent. Starscream answered, clearing his voice.

"This is Air Commander Moonwing."

The voice lost its professionalism.

"Moonwing!" he cried in unrestrained delight. " _Moonwing_? You're alive? Oh but, how? We saw the video-"

"Please connect me to Ultra Magnus," Starscream continued.

"Y-yes, Sir!" he stammered.

The call cut out. Minutes later, the ship was called again.

"Moonwing," Ultra Magnus addressed him in his fake name. "Is that you?"

"It is," Starscream breathed. "I am well. But I must speak to you in private. It is important that no one else hears what I have to say to you."

There was a pause. Ultra Magnus had ushered someone away. A door was faintly heard, closing.

"What is it? How have you come to be on a spacecraft bound for Cybertron?"

"The organization attempted to assassinate me," Starscream replied quickly. "They cast me out into space to prevent me from being found. My… lieutenant was given the same treatment. Only he did not survive. I was found and healed, and this is the reason we cannot be overheard. Please, do not act rashly upon hearing me."

"You are not alone on that ship, are you?" he stated.

"No. I have found Megatron and Shockwave, and they are returning with me. They saved my life."

There was a long, frightening pause.

"We must consult Optimus," Starscream pressed. "They wish to help with the situation on Cybertron. They want to dissuade our enemies, and Shockwave wants to finalize the cure for the energon-sucking disease."

He waited, hoping that Ultra Magnus was going to reveal the state of Cybertron.

"A few Predacons are with us," Starscream added, afraid of the silence. "Four. They are clones who intend to help end Predacon violence on Cybertron."

Ultra Magnus rumbled, "I will contact Optimus before contacting you again."

He hung up. Starscream quivered, knowing that Ultra Magnus had not trusted him. What would he do, if they landed only for Megatron and Shockwave to be dragged out and arrested? It looked bad; Starscream had vanished for a year, returning with Megatron and Shockwave without warning. It would seem like the reawakening of the Decepticon cause.

An hour passed, with Starscream taping the edge of the controls before curling up on the chair. Then, they were called again.

It was Optimus' calm rumble, greeting just him for now. Starscream felt soft and comforted already, as though he was home.

"Hello, Optimus," he answered.

"Are you well, Starscream?" he asked. Instantly, Starscream felt special and cared for because of that.

"Yes," he sighed. "Is everything alright on Cybertron? What has happened?"

It was a relief that he wasn't yet demanding information about Megatron and Shockwave, accusing Starscream of anything. He felt that Optimus trusted him by ignoring the topic for now.

"It will displease you to know, that tensions upon Cybertron have worsened after your departure," Optimus responded. "The Predacons have created an independent territory for themselves, one that is aggressive to outsiders. This territory pushes to expand its borders, under the reign of their new leader, the ancient Predacon. It appears that the territory has been overtaken by the clones of the organization's army, and each day we wonder if war will break out."

"By the Allspark," Starscream whispered. "And my Seekers? What happened to them?"

"They were forcefully expelled from the territory, but they are safe, in Vos."

"Thank Primus… and everyone else? Has there been any deaths?"

"No one that you know, I believe," Optimus replied, understanding who he meant. "However, there have been a few Predacon attacks in public areas. They all displayed the same symptoms of Predaking, who is still in containment at the facility with Airachnid. Additionally, a few Cybertronians have dared to stray into Predacon territory, and they have not returned since. We fear that their lives have been lost due to their ignorance of the danger."

Starscream grimaced, then was the first to bring up the others. "Shockwave is willing to help find a cure for the disease. Once we have it, the organization cannot simply terrorize the public whenever they please. Shockwave and Megatron, both of them have come to help, and I beg you to protect them. They will return to their refuge once Cybertron is stable once more."

He had heard enough from Starscream to know that he was as good as he had been before.

"They will be shielded from the public," Optimus stated. "Once you land, we will provide a groundbridge so that everyone but yourself can evacuate without being seen. I will find a safe place, where we can discuss our next actions."

"Thank you, Optimus Prime," Starscream trilled. But Megatron stepped up behind him, echoing the thanks with his gruffer voice.

"I am honoured by your leniency, Optimus," he said. "I assure you, that my time away from Cybertron has allowed me to further consider my past actions. I understand that it is not right for me to stay, and we are grateful to be given the chance to right our wrongs during our time here."

"I am pleased that your intentions have changed for the better," Optimus steadily answered, a certain softness revealing his sincerity. "You will be treated fairly for the entirety of your stay here. What remains to be seen is how you will be able to aid us without being detected."

"What may be of use, are the devices that Shockwave put within us. They protect our life signals from detection."

"Then it will be easier to conceal you, though we cannot yet have you freely enter public spaces."

Starscream was perked up with pleasure, for the openness of Optimus was allowing everything to go smoothly.

Megatron concluded there, "We will make further plans upon our arrival. I look forward to meeting you soon, Optimus."

Megatron was the one to hang up, but his last words surprised Starscream. He had really seemed to mean the last part.

There was still a bit of a flight before Cybertron came into sight with its moons. The moment it could be made out, Starscream leapt out of his seat and gasped. The Predacons too, stepped up to the front to gaze at the world that had first birthed their race, and they were captivated by the blue glow that intensified as they came closer.

"It is more beautiful than I imagined," Divebomb whispered.

Grimwing murmured dreamily, "Indeed."

Shockwave reduced the ship's speed, but then it was time for him to relinquish the controls. All rose to head into the ship, though the Predacons more reluctantly. Starscream was alone, left to fly the ship as though he was the only one onboard. It grew uncomfortably quiet; he shuffled a heel to distract himself from the sound of his pulse.

Two shapes sped past the window, then he received a call.

"Air Commander Moonwing, we are ready to receive you. Please follow our directions."

The smaller ships escorted him for landing at the space station. Starscream's excitement only grew as the surface of the planet grew closer. He carefully set the large ship onto the terrain, and once all was still, Starscream hopped up with joy and released a cry of delight. He couldn't help it at all, and being alone, he trotted around the room and had a little dance. Then, he hurried to the window and watched the regular search patrol surrounding the ship. He grew nervous then, until he saw Ultra Magnus keeping the workers at a distance.

A groundbridge portal opened up in the front behind him. Whirling around, Starscream saw Optimus emerge from it. To see him filled him with such joy. Strong and warm, he was in sight again. Starscream skidded up to him with shining eyes, but did not touch him. He just waited until Optimus rested his hand on his shoulder, then it felt like his spark had flipped.

Starscream murmured, "Optimus…"

Megatron, Shockwave, and the Predacons emerged from hiding, but they couldn't waste time talking here. They glanced Optimus' way, then scurried past him into the shelter of the groundbridge. Last, Optimus went in after them, but only after assuring Starscream, "It is good to see you again. We had mourned your loss."

Starscream let out a little gasp, but then Optimus left.

They had cared.

Finally, Starscream emerged from the ship, staring incredulously at the ground before setting foot upon it. A warm breeze, friendlier than the wind of Chaar, rolled over his wings. A huge smile broke over his face as the crowd of employees forgot their job to swarm him.

"Moonwing? How are you alive?"

"It's great to see you! Wow!"

"You're all healed!"

Ultra Magnus came through, shooing them off to search the ship now that he knew the others had left it. Even to see Ultra Magnus' towering form raised Starscream's cheer. He clasped his hands together and peered up at him.

"You looked pleased to be back," Ultra Magnus commented, already leading him toward the station.

"I am." Starscream skip-walked alongside him. Even the judgemental commander believed him.

They passed awed security officers, before Ultra Magnus began regular procedures. Of course, he thought all that must be done. Starscream was decontaminated and screened for plague, before he was given documents to fill out. Naturally, both knew he would have to invent a story about how he arrived home. So then, Starscream wrote that he had been dumped on Antilla. He lied that he had been treated by someone living there on the surface, then he had taken an old ship from there to fly back on his own.

"Can I go home?" Starscream pleaded when all seemed finished, and he was impatient to see everyone.

Ultra Magnus conceded, but did not know where home was for Starscream.

"Where would you like to be sent?"

"Iacon first," Starscream answered, implying right then that he had many homes. In truth, he had meant home as in wherever his friends could be found.

Ultra Magnus took him to the station's controlled warp station, the end of his task. He was still at work here, so he saw off Starscream and did not follow him.

Starscream trotted out into Iacon from its warp station. A cluster of gasps instantly rang out, and Starscream swept his eyes over them in case a friend was there, but there was no one he knew. So Starscream transformed and abruptly took to the sky, heading toward the Iacon Square. When he landed, there was more finger-pointing and yelping, smiles that tried to run up to him.

But Starscream pelted past them to the High Tower living quarters, stopped only by Elite Guards. Not that they were barring him from entering, but they spread out their arms while crying out his false name.

"Moonwing!"

"Moonwing!"

"What are you doing here?"

"What happened to you?"

Starscream brushed past them, tearing up the stairs because he illogically feared that the elevator might trap him. He burst out into the hall of the top floor, the barking of the turbofox already beating his chance to call out. Bulkhead seemed not to be in to let her free, but some doors did open to see what unusual sound had triggered the animal.

Windblade stepped out, halting at the sight of him and widening her eyes.

"Primus, it's you." She blinked. But she could not be too excited, since they had never been close.

Then Smokescreen wandered out, shuffling wearily since his nap was disturbed. All fatigue flashed away once he saw Starscream.

"Whoa, _what_?" Smokescreen hollered. "I-I don't believe it! Wow, oh- how did you-"

He broke off into a laugh, then hustled over to Starscream. But Starscream was already moving, without words, and hurled himself into Smokescreen. They both stumbled and rocked from the blow of the hug, but it suited the laughing mood that they had succumbed to.

"What happened?" Smokescreen gasped, like everyone else had. "Like, there was that footage with Predaking chasing you and then biting you- no one could have survived that… and you disappeared and all…"

"So everyone saw that?"

"Yeah, yeah- it was awful. Media went wild and everyone wanted to declare war on Predacons right then and there. The High Council had to tell everyone that Predaking was not in his right mind. Even then, bots are still acting like the king purposefully attacked the Air Commander."

"Oh…"

Smokescreen drew back, but slammed his hands down on his shoulders. "What have you been doing then?"

"Has Optimus not told you yet?"

"Told me what?"

"You cannot tell anyone else," Starscream said as Windblade listened.

"Alright, alright. I swear I won't."

"I brought Megatron and Shockwave back with me."

" _What_?"

"My body was dumped by a dead planet, the one that they had chosen to take refuge upon. They healed me and agreed to take me back, intending to also help out on Cybertron."

Smokescreen scrunched up his face. He trusted Starscream, but not them. "Whoa, whoa. How do you know they won't just lead that army of bad guys that have been troubling us?"

"They have been excessively kind to me, I can assure you. They have changed just as I have."

"I don't know," he drawled.

"Just keep quiet about it," Starscream said. "Trust Optimus; he is dealing with them as we speak. I'll explain more later, so that you will better understand."

"You leaving already?"

"I want to find my other friends, to let them know I have returned."

Smokescreen chuckled, "Oh, that won't take long. Word's gonna spread real fast."

He squeezed Smokescreen again, then raced outside to find that he was right. Some news drones had spawned with the first reporters, and a small crowd had gathered in the Square. A cheer arose at the sight of him walking out, stunning him for a moment. They couldn't come closer, even the camera drones, since there was a distance they have to maintain from the living quarters. Starscream stopped to peer through the crowd again for more familiar faces, but he wasn't finding any now.

 _Some of Team Prime is probably with Optimus, Megatron, and Shockwave. Where is Knockout now? He must be busy at this time, in his studio._

He jetted off, beelining straight for Knockout's studio. Though that helped him escape from media attention for the moment, he knew that they would find out where he had gone. Starscream dropped onto the street, astonishing passersby, before he threw himself through the entrance of Knockout's studio.

There was a little musical chime that announced his entry, as he came into the waiting room like a new customer. There was a chance that Knockout was already working on a customer, but then Starscream heard movement. Starscream went quiet, quivering in excitement over how surprised Knockout was going to be. He did not call out, just to have that moment.

Knockout strolled out, a bit inattentive at first as he casually drank some exotic drink from a designer glass. He headed to the counter, towards a logbook, and set down his drink.

"And your name would be-"

Then he focused his eyes on Starscream and forgot everything he had been about to say. A small, choked sound puffed out from him, and he refocused his eyes. Starscream watched his pupils narrow and widen, which made Starscream smile more and more. He decided to walk around the counter towards him, just as it dawned upon Knockout that he wasn't imagining things.

"St- _Starscream_?" His face brightened like the morning sun. Then his arms came up, fists clenched in rapture, one elbow striking the expensive glass.

Starscream dove for it, crashing into Knockout's side. He managed to snag the glass in his fingers, saving it from certain destruction- but Starscream's wing whacked Knockout in the face in passing. He jolted back and held his stinging face, as Starscream fumbled the glass onto the counter.

"I am terribly sorr-"

Knockout lowered his hand and grabbed Starscream. Like with Smokescreen, his strong emotions made him rough with his affection. Starscream thudded back into the counter, then embraced Knockout as he nestled into him.

"Where have you been?" Knockout gasped. "How did you survive?"

His fine fingers stroked his lower wings incredulously.

"You shouldn't be alive," Knockout affirmed. "And yet you… Tell me everything, Starscream. Everything!"

Starscream didn't let go of him. He told Knockout more than he had told Smokescreen, but that was out of habit. Even as a Decepticon, Knockout had been his favourite to vent to, and Knockout had been someone he always came to speak to in his new life. He spoke of Megtron, Shockwave, and the Predacons, and how kind-hearted they all had been.

"So the big M really is good then," Knockout concluded, releasing him. "And Shockwave. Hmm, I am rather surprised. Lucky you."

"There is another thing," Starscream said. "I fell ill and Shockwave had needed to heal me. But as he operated on me, he also removed that energy within me. It is completely gone now."

Knockout gasped.

"So then, you remember _everything_?"

"I do."

He looked him up and down. Then asked, "How do you feel? Or well, I should be asking: how do you think?"

"Well, I came here, didn't I? So what do you think?"

They were standing close, so it was easy for Starscream to drag him back for another hug. When he let him go, Knockout said, "But you aren't angry at me? At _all_?"

"I already knew that you hit me in the face." Starscream pretended to tap him. "I knew that before I got my memories back."

"All is forgiven then?"

"I missed you a lot, Knockout."

"Really?"

Starscream nodded.

"D'aw, Screamer." Knockout wore a mischievous smile. "I missed you too, by the way. I was at your funeral."

"They held one of those?"

"Oh yes," Knockout chuckled. "It was massive. They could only let in a thousand before they had to block off more from coming, so then they just televised it. That's what happens when you make yourself into a star, Starscream! Though now that you're back, it all seems silly now. You should go visit your own grave; it's a lovely memorial, expensive with an epitaph on it. I say you should blow it up for the fun of it- I'm sure the media will describe it as a symbolical, inspiring action."

Starscream chuckled. "Then you will have to take me there sometime."

"Hmm, that sounds like you're leaving."

"I want to visit some others," Starscream said. "Then, I should report to Vos soon to get more information about the Predacon district, and to see my Seekers."

"Oh yes, the Predacon 'Independent State'." Knockout shook himself out. "That's a dangerous subject, Starscream. Do be careful. And keep your distance from that place, alright? It is crawling with bloodthirsty Predacons who all hunt for their sustenance now. If they caught you past the border, they would tear you apart. So don't even think about it."

Starscream replied, "I know I'm not invincible, don't fret. But I am more resilient than you know. I'll tell you about it later."

"Hmm, you better. Now you've made me interested."

Starscream spun one of the wheels on his back, then turned on his heels and walked towards the exit.

"Thanks for catching my glass, by the way!" Knockout called with a grin. "It costs more than your train ticket did!"

Starscream looked back and pulled a face. "As I recall, you _insisted_ on paying for my ticket. You refused all my offers to cover the price."

"Ha, indeed I did. And I would gladly do it again. That being said, want to take the Sky Rails again this week?"

Starscream imagined crossing Cybertron and re-seeing everything that he had nearly lost, and that struck him with excitement. If he had the time, he would love to relax and look at the scenery with Knockout once more. He would feel trapped in a zone of peace again, taking a break from the chaos of the world.

"Yes," he answered.

"Wonderful. Just let me know when, okay?"

Starscream smiled back at him, then began to leave.

"And wash up and polish! Why in the name of the Allspark are you so scratched up? You look dreadful, like you crawled your way out of your grave backwards. Did you not take care of yourself at all during your time away?"

"Haven't bathed in a stellar cycle," he chuckled. "And I haven't seen a buffer since I last saw you."

" _Excuse me_? Hey, where do you think you're going? Stay and at least give yourself an oil bath! You can't just seriously walk out there in front of the cameras looking like that. Hey, wait- come back here!"

Starscream dodged his grab and smiled at him one last time, before fleeing out the door into the throng of the paparazzi.


	34. Chapter 33: One Day

"Hey," Jetfire tested out his commlink. "So you're back!"

Starscream was embracing a few from the crowd that he recognized: some clubmates and old classmates. When Jetfire called him, Starscream was reminded that nothing had damaged his communication systems. He had thought about it on the trip, but had briefly forgotten.

"Jetfire!" he gasped.

"It is great to hear from you." In Jetfire's voice, Starscream could hear his smile. "But is this a ghost I am talking to? I can't pick up your signal."

Starscream took off into the sky so that they would have more privacy.

"It is just a precaution," he replied. "It isn't wise for me to be traceable at this time."

"Tell me, how did you survive? It looks like someone wanted you dead, then threw away your body somewhere you couldn't be found."

"That is exactly what happened."

"I feel that there is much we need to discuss. I want to tell you about what happened while you were gone, and I just heard that they recovered the body of your lieutenant. How about you come see me in Vos? I can give you a portal, but just try not to get distracted on the way to my office. Everyone has already heard of your return and are rejoicing."

Starscream slowed his flight and waited for that portal. When he did come into Vos, he experienced what he had been warned of. Once he landed, it was difficult to admire the tall buildings around him as Seekers dove down and swarmed him. They jabbered "Moonwing! Moonwing!" and the question "how" kept arising. Starscream strode through the sea, shoving bots away as politely as he could with a smile in his hurry to Jetfire.

" _Moonwing_!" cried a familiar voice. This time, Starscream minded it and glanced to a low ledge on a building. The black and red Seeker of his, Comet, waved wildly at him with an ecstatic expression. Beside him sat the tiny Seeker, Charred Mist, who also bounced and waved.

He was usually quiet, but Charred Mist hollered over the crowd, "Oh, Moonwing!"

Then they threw themselves off the ledge, half transforming to slow their fall with some blasts. The smallest Seekers of his original group charged him and both snatched him, laughing and half-climbing him.

"I really can't believe it!" Comet gasped. "We thought you were dead!"

Starscream kept an arm around each one of them, continuing to walk forward before the path began too obstructed.

"So you were in space? What happened?" Charred Mist breathed. "Was Aceflight with you?"

A flash of fearful heat came over Starscream, who had been dreading to be asked about Aceflight all this time. Now did not seem the right time, so he hastily said, "I will explain everything later. Please excuse me, I must see Jetfire now."

Even when Starscream shoved himself into the main headquarters, he was trailed in the halls by Seekers. Only once he was alone with Jetfire, were they forced to leave him alone.

Jetfire was standing, for he had been waiting by the door. He looked Starscream over, catching the sorrow and happiness in Starscream's eyes, realizing that he was still as good as he had been.

"Starscream. Come here, old friend."

Before any discussion, Jetfire had to embrace him. Starscream was squashed against the large Seeker, but he clung to his waist and stayed there. He was the most careful out of everyone who had hugged him so for, not inflicting minor pain upon meeting him.

"So who's going first?" The Sky Commander breathed out in a relieved chuckle.

"Please tell me about Cybertron," Starscream replied. "I have been left in suspense for so long."

Jetfire let go and wandered around his desk. Starscream sat down in front of him.

"Alright," Jetfire sighed. "I suppose there is much to say, and nothing good. Predaking is infected and restrained in the facility. He needs constant energon, or else he will perish. A few other Predacons turned up without warning, infected with the disease, and some were clones while some were citizens. They killed over two hundred civilians between themselves. The disease damages its hosts horribly, where they can die in a single day without energon. That is why they are so desperate."

Starscream nodded with his eyes widened, but he didn't want to interrupt Jetfire yet.

"But back when Predaking left, the Predacons were confused and still angry. Remember, that massive attack in Kaon had just happened, so the tensions between us and the Predacons were high. It was worse when you and Aceflight disappeared, especially since the footage was recovered from security cameras of you getting attacked by the leader of the Predacons. I put Air Raid back in the Valley, and he did his best. He tried to be gentler than before, but it still wasn't enough. White Dragon held her speeches again, and they impacted the population better than before. She asked for an election, and the Predacons voted her to be their new leader…

"So she called for an Independent State just for the Predacons to be free and safe. She rallied up the Predacons, and they forcefully chased the Seekers out of the district. It was chaotic, with hundreds turning on them. They essentially fled for their lives, and since then, no one has been able to get into the district. Or those who have, have gone missing. To make matters worse, the Predacons have more than doubled the size of their original district and made it all a deadzone. They pushed out south first from the old Predacon burial grounds, absorbing the plains and city ruins. Then, they did the same in the other directions to take in other unrepaired cities. A plan to rebuild one has been ruined because of that."

Starscream asked, "Does anyone know what their ultimate intentions are?"

"We have been patrolling the border at a distance, observing that Predacons have been hunting animals. From what we could see from satellites as well, the Predacons have turned feral. They have left their Valley mostly, to creep across the flatlands and highlands, or to hunt for creatures among the city ruins. Though I believe their intentions are obvious: they want to claim Cybertron as one large hunting ground, just as Cybertron used to be for their race. And they are frighteningly close to populated areas now."

Starscream imagined all the Predacons who had befriended him, but it was hard to imagine them hunting, or even driving out the Seeker as they had.

"And what has been done about this?" Starscream asked.

"We attempted to speak with White Dragon," Jetfire replied. "Though we could only get to her through some Predacons on the outskirts who begrudgingly took messages. She denies wanting to take over Cybertron, and she claims that the expansion is just to ensure that the Predacons have enough to eat. She refuses to take any funding or energon from us, because apparently the Predacons enjoy hunting much more."

"That cannot be true. The Predacons I knew were revolted by the idea before."

"Well, things change, Starscream. I suppose once they got the taste for it, they got an addiction."

Starscream frowned.

"We have been wary of armed resistance," Jetfire said. "The Predacons are prone to vengeance, and so we cannot simply strike them with missiles or lasers. Also, that is against Optimus' wishes. He would rather see peace between the races instead of war. As you can imagine, bipedal Cybertronians strongly disagree. To appease them, we had to rush the construction of the underground city. Many construction workers have been sent to work on New Spark, the city that Grimlock had begun building after the War. It has an underground shelter below it, large enough to evacuate the population into it. We surveyed the construction carefully to be sure that none of the defenses were sabotaged. We even performed a drill, to record the approximate time it took to evacuate everyone."

"In case the Predacons launch a mass attack."

Jetfire nodded.

"We have no idea how many Predacons there really are at this point," Jetfire exhaled. "We can already see that there are more than one thousand in the Predacon district. Clones have been placed there to guard the borders, and it is obvious now that they ran short of fossils. There are copies of the same Predacons, much like a vehicon army. And who knows if they have another ten thousand clones underground? All we can do is take all newly Forged Predacons under our wing, raising them privately in the Sea of Rust. We open our arms to Predacon refugees, but none have willingly come to our side. Anyway, a full scale attack could happen any day. We have to be able to save the civilians, clearing them out before we retaliate.

"This is the 'New Spark Protocol'. Only Council members can call for it, which will set off alarms in all populated areas and open portals. Once citizens enter New Spark, they pass through security scanners that check their life signals. We can mark off citizens that way, and make sure no Decepticons get inside. Now, I ought to tell you that we do have a new council. Since everything is so tense right now, no one of us with power should make a decision without consulting others first. So Ultra Magnus and I became High Councilors. Finally, Optimus did too, who should have just been a member from the beginning. He cannot help but try to butt in to fix a problem, after all."

Starscream's face of disappointment only appeared because he hated the desperation of this plan. They thought it was inevitable that war with the Predacons was going to break out.

"Then, while you were gone, some missing friends of Optimus returned. We also gained some important Autobot faces who were working off world. Tourism crashed because of the Predacon issues, and relations with the colonies has been awkward. Optimus also wanted immigration and tourism to Cybertron to be closed, to protect others from our problems. But the colonies are a bit upset with us at the moment, since the War just ended and here we are, going on as though it hasn't. They booted our ambassadors back to Cybertron for the time being, basically telling us to 'fix our problems before consulting them again'."

Then Jetfire listed the members of the High Council, using his fingers to count them off.

"On this new High Council, we have Optimus Prime, Arcee, Bulkhead, Ultra Magnus, myself, Silverbolt, Jazz, Ratchet, Windblade, Elita One, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Prowl, and Perceptor. Thirteen would have been symbolic I suppose, but we ended up with fourteen and might tack on someone else later on. Optimus wants to hear multiple opinions, you see. So it is a big difference from the last time you were here. But we are rather different, so we all bring something to the table."

Starscream nodded slowly.

"Prowl is a great cop and he can find out things, so we're relying on him to get intel from stray Decepticons. He and Windblade are working together, with the support of Bumblebee and the police. Perceptor and Ratchet have their scientific minds, so they provide logic while trying to work out a cure for the disease. So far they have only managed to cure some of the damage in the bodies of the infected. Ironhide is rough and ready, so he and Ultra Magnus remind us not to be too soft. Bulkhead helped with the construction of New Spark, of course, and Silverbolt and I keep on optic on the Predacons while we also hunt for suspicious activity elsewhere on Cybertron. Elita One is unshakeable in negotiations. She and Optimus work well in trying to get the Predacons to talk to them, and only they have been able to get word in without getting chased off. Since we haven't made progress finding the organization, we are focusing on the Predacons and relying on Elita and Optimus to make a deal with them."

Jetfire frowned then, looking worried for the next member he had to speak about.

"Arcee is taking the most risks. She is mapping out the new tunnels created by the shifting of plates. Though underground, she has been working out routes into the Predacon district. Optimus forbids her from going to the surface, but I fear that she is going to take risks soon, to spy for us. It's what she used to do in the War: run tunnels and spy."

The big Seeker put a flat hand over his cheek.

"Jazz, of course, keeps us all together. How could a meeting go, without Jazz's jokes and tips to keep our spirits high? I imagine every one of us is going to be called in for a meeting soon. Because you brought Megatron and Shockwave- I know you did."

Starscream's eyes expanded again.

"I think Optimus is just passing out the word, but nothing is going to happen fast just yet. We got a bit of time, I know, since Optimus is going to want some time alone with Megatron. There is a lot they have to share: what Megatron has been doing, the kind of things he thinks about nowadays… They will be catching up, if you will. On the inside, I know Optimus is happy to see him. For so long, he had wanted Megatron just to change and stop the War. Then, he gave up on Megatron, but always hated the thought that he would have to kill him. To have exactly what he wanted- Megatron good, no need to kill him… Yes, they need to sit and have their long talk. I think they will recover those past feelings of comradeship."

Starscream could see, despite Jetfire's words, his face was stiff.

"You are not pleased that he is back," Starscream murmured.

"It is hard for everyone except Optimus," Jetfire replied. "After all, none of us were ever close enough to Megatron to call him 'brother'. Optimus is quite willing to forgive him, to have that bot back that was his friend. I know that I can't just forgive Megatron, but as an Autobot, I have to try, especially for Optimus…"

Jetfire looked at Starscream, a little softly.

"After all, what is the point of staying angry forever? It accomplishes nothing. Forgiveness lets bots be free to do good, which should be our goal. I am weak for you as Optimus is to Megatron. You were my friend before the War, Starscream, and I will never forget that."

Jetfire got up then and moved toward where Starscream sat.

"You probably want to see your Seekers," Jetfire said. "You have time, Starscream. Much time before we do anything else. Go see your friends and relax a bit. You look roughened up, so maybe wash up and take care of yourself. We will call you for the meeting, alright? I know you will tell everyone everything there."

Starscream got up, and felt no other urge but to clasp onto Jetfire. As he did, Jetfire sighed, "As for Lieutenant Aceflight... You should be the one to tell your Seekers what happened. You have to comfort them."

Jetfire felt Starscream's wings pressing down, so he moved his hands out of the way to allow them to fall. He just readjusted his grip on Starscream afterwards.

"I know it wasn't your fault," Jetfire murmured.

His trust meant something to Starscream. Jetfire saw him stiffen, quiver, then jerk softly, and he knew that this was going to be hard for Starscream.

"I'll call your group," Jetfire murmured. "Do you want to see any of the other Seekers of the Valley? I know you weren't as close to them… except for Sunchaser. In fact, I insist that you see him. Sunchaser fell into a state of depression after the Predacons expelled the Seekers. He's been on work leave for a while now, so I hope your return can make him feel a bit better. Surprise him; I doubt he's watching the news right now."

Jetfire went back to his desk and searched on a computer for the address of Sunchaser. He gave it to Starscream, then said goodbye for now. As Starscream walked out into the hall, he ignored fans and called the remaining five Seekers that he had studied with through his commlink.

It was a cacophony when he spoke, as all of their voices shoved into the call. Starscream had said, "You may already be aware, but I have returned. Let us meet somewhere-"

"Moonwing!" Cloudtips boomed. "Praise the Allspark!"

"So it is true!" Twilight gasped. "Oh, so it wasn't false media-"

"We just saw him!" Comet boasted. "He's in Vos!"

"Yes," Charred Mist murmured in confirmation.

Soft Breeze cheered, "Oh, Moonwing! We expected the worst. Where are we meeting?"

"Yes, where?" Cloudtips cut in. "We must see you! Where did you disappear to? Where is Aceflight? Are you both well?"

Starscream replied, "Meet me at Sunchaser's. I heard he is unwell."

"That's true," Soft Breeze sighed. "The poor thing never recovered. He feels betrayed by what the Predacons did to him, when they chased us out and all…"

"I think you can cheer him up," Twilight said.

But Starscream wasn't sure, since he would also be bringing the news of a death.

They met up the hall on the floor and in the building where Sunchaser resided. They hushed up so that Sunchaser would not hear them, but his Seekers hugged Starscream and whined quietly in happiness. Then, the five Seekers saved their questions, bouncing to Sunchaser's door in excitement. It was also necessary to get inside his apartment before the paparazzi found the floor where Starscream had gotten off on. So Starscream stood back, watching the door open as Sunchaser answered it. Already he could see dullness in Sunchaser's blue eyes as he murmured to them in confusion, inquiring about the visit.

His wings were pointed down, though Starscream had never seen or imagined them that way before. Sunchaser was so out of focus that when he gazed towards Starscream, he didn't promptly recognize what he was looking at.

"Look, Moonwing's back," Comet piped up. "He's alive, Sunny."

Sunchaser looked back towards Starscream, following the pointing fingers. He blinked at Starscream, wrinkling his eyebrows, then recognition hit him at last. Still, the merry hop that Starscream expected did not come. Sunchaser smiled weakly instead, mumbling, "Moonwing? Is that you?"

Starscream came up and gently ushered him into his apartment, leading the others in. It appeared that Sunchaser did not own many possessions, but there was a clear nest for himself on his berth with dishevelled chain blankets and too many mugs on the side table. Starscream let Sunchaser hold him, but it seemed Sunchaser was too fatigued from his restless nights to do much else. Simply, he smuggled into him and shivered as Starscream rested his hand on his wing.

"I thought you were dead," Sunchaser croaked. "But you are alive… I am glad."

Sunchaser had used the plural form of _you_ in their language. It reminded Cloudtips to turn to Starscream.

"Why isn't Aceflight with you?" the large Seeker asked, wringing his hands. "Don't you know where he is?"

They had started getting the sense that something was wrong. Too many times had Starscream dodged the question.

"He is here," Starscream murmured, unable to meet their frightened gazes. "But he is dead."

"What?" Cloudtips cried, his voice, first loud, paling into a whimper. "No… No, are you sure?"

"He was killed beside me."

Starscream's eyes, though lowered, showed that he was reliving the memory.

"No!" Cloudtips boomed, strength renewed. "How? Wh-who did this? Who did it?"

Starscream looked to Cloudtips and saw Thundercracker as he used to be. He was powerful of spirit, determined, and plotting what should be done with this fresh lust for revenge. Although as he tried to figure out the details, he was trying to distract himself from the agonizing pain in his spark. Cloudtips had no idea how much he had lost with Aceflight's, Skywarp's death. But his spark felt it, and the pain was worse than the first time.

The young faces of Starscream's other Seekers crinkled and smoothed out, trying to contain their sorrow. They had assumed Aceflight and Starscream were dead, but without confirmation, they had had the hope that both could be alive. Now, they knew for sure. Sunchaser, as though struck by a blow, had started to weep while everyone else murmured words of denial to themselves.

"The organization took us and tried to kill us," Starscream whispered. "A Predacon broke his neck."

"Which one?" Cloudtips hissed.

"I don't know. A clone, medium-sized and blue. He and some Forged grabbed Aceflight, then just suddenly he grasped his head…"

"I will find out who it was," Cloudtips uttered. "I will kill him, and I will make him suffer. He will know what it is like to…"

But then Cloudtips lost his strength, unable to keep himself controlled enough for this vengeful vow. His last word ended with a sob, and he began to shake. When Sunchaser saw Cloudtips' grief, he wailed and cried harder. That helped distract Cloudtips, who then felt so concerned about Sunchaser that he quieted down.

"Oh no, Sun. Don't…" He turned and held the frail Seeker.

Wings dropped solemnly, except for Twilight's, which were always turned down but now were pressed back. Comet reached for Charred Mist as Soft Breeze put his hand over his spark.

"I saw him in the Allspark," Starscream murmured. "He will return one day."

Cloudtips looked up, blue eyes leaking lubricant. "What are you talking about?"

Starscream said, "I was there, and I saw him."

Sunchaser stopped quaking.

"What do you mean?" Twilight whispered. "Only the dead go there…"

"I was dead," Starscream confessed. "But there is something abnormal about my spark. Once my body was repaired, I could return to it. So I visited the Allspark and saw the dead. Aceflight spoke to me and revealed that he knew you in his past life, so he will find you again someday in his next life. He will be different and remember nothing, but wait for him."

Cloudtips moaned and trembled anew, relieved and devastated by his words. He believed Starscream, but did not want this to be the truth.

"But I want _him_ ," he whimpered. "All of our memories together… he won't remember anything. Oohhh… oh, Ace…"

Cloudtips didn't care about the past, of who he was. All that weighed on his mind was the friend who could never laugh or play with him again.

Sunchaser pulled back and held his arms. "Praise Primus," he whispered. "The dead can live again. How merciful…"

Cloudtips stared at him, but with blankness and not anger.

"He remembers nothing, but he is still your friend," Sunchaser said. "He feels it… Then he is not really gone. It is like having an amnesiac friend, and you can just make new memories. How beautiful…"

Sunchaser looked so comforted, with a hint of life returning to his eyes. Everyone could not help but feel better to see him, raising their wings halfway.

Cloudtips wiped his face. "Yeah. I will find him… I will wait for however long it takes. But that Predacon will pay for making him suffer, mark my words."

"He will," Twilight uttered. "Whichever one of us finds him first, let's take him. And all those Forged and Decepticons who stood by or helped…"

Cloudtips nodded grimly. "Yes, if any one of you find him… Please."

Then they all nodded together, and stood in silence for a time.

"White Dragon was there," Starscream muttered. "She infected Predaking and then snatched us."

Soft Breeze growled, "As if there wasn't already enough reasons to kill that deceptive beast!"

They glared, but knew they were a bit scared at the idea of challenging her. There was another pause before Sunchaser spoke, addressing Starscream.

"I am happy we have you," he repeated, with new meaning this time. "So you are an outlier type. And you wouldn't have even known, until you died."

"Are you immortal?" Comet asked.

Starscream shook his head. "I may be able to refuse to join the Allspark, but if my body is rendered unmendable… I might be forced to join it."

"Can't your spark enter another spark chamber?" Comet went on. "An empty one in a different body?"

Starscream shrugged. He guessed it was possible to possess bodies that weren't his own, but he didn't say that aloud. He wondered if he would truly be alive in that case, or just a ghost shambling around in a corpse.

"Well, then we will remember," Twilight said. "If you die, we have to fix you to bring you back."

Sunchaser padded over to hug Starscream again. Then, he pressed his finger into his slashed Autobot Vos insignia, asking, "What are you now? Will you be our commander again?"

"Of what?" Starscream sighed. "Our division is gone. But no matter."

"No matter?" Sunchaser raised his voice, the highest he had in a year. "But we _have_ to do something! We tried so hard to make those Predacons happy. And they can't truly be happy now!"

Starscream hushed him. "I did not mean that. I meant that my position does not concern me. Of course we will do something."

"I want to go there," Sunchaser murmured. "I want to speak to my friends… I want to know if they really hate me…"

"They don't hate you," Cloudtips rumbled. "They are just misguided."

Charred Mist unexpectedly put himself forward. "No one will let us go back. But I want to. I can go into the territory undetected; they won't see me at night if I put on my visor."

Comet jumped, his face aghast by his comrade's suggestion. "You can't go in there! They guard that place and hunt for prey. Charr, they would eat you!"

"They wouldn't see me," he argued. "You know I can sneak anywhere at night without being seen."

Comet rounded on him. "No! What if you step into an open area and they see your silhouette under the moonlight? What if you step on something and get a cut?"

Everyone silently watched the dispute.

"I would stay in the shadows and be careful," Charred Mist said. "I wouldn't move from a hiding place unless there was somewhere else I could go. It would take me a long time, and I would even probably have to hide in the day until night fell again. I know how to-"

"No!" Comet snapped. "Those Predacons are killing machines. Some stupid Newsparks wandered in there and got killed! Apparently some Insecticons too. How could you suggest something so reckless?"

"I want to find Aceflight's killer," Charred Mist murmured. "And I want to help. I want to spy and report back, so that maybe…"

"That place is massive, and you just want to trek over it? Just because one Predacon didn't see you before, doesn't mean you're invisible!"

Comet was referring to the night that Charred Mist had saved his life. He concluded then in a whisper, "I don't want them to do something so awful to you. Tearing you apart… drinking your blood…"

"Okay," Charred Mist mumbled. "I'm sorry."

Starscream put in, "It may not be necessary. I heard that Arcee is finding a way to spy on them by using underground tunnels. Do not take the risk of travelling on the surface."

Charred Mist said, "Arcee? Has she found a way to their centre?"

"She is working on it."

"Ah." Then Charred Mist shook his head and glanced at Starscream properly. "I'm sorry for wasting your time, Moonwing. You have other bots to see, don't you? And other things to do."

Starscream opened his mouth, but the others started agreeing.

"Right, we'll be okay," Twilight said. "Go on."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes," Cloudtips murmured.

It didn't feel right to have it, but there was a flicker of excitement within Starscream to see more. He left soon after, which meant squeezing through the fans that had been searching for him. He didn't stop yet for interviews, but kept scanning the crowds for those he knew. Sandstorm and Barrel Roll greeted him, then Starscream just called the rest of the Valley Seekers through his commlink. They were relieved to hear from him, but were also eager to complain about the Predacons.

Starscream shoved himself into a library just to use the public computers. He hated that so many bots peered over his shoulder as he logged into his social media account. The account was going to be chaos, he knew, and he did find an impossible amount of things that he could never bother to read through. Not only did he have the entire approximate population following him, but they had sent messages, tags, and pictures galore. Starscream could only read the most recent of the thousands of posts, seeing that a trend of mourning him as 'a young star who tragically died too soon' had begun. Though as he read, he could see fresh tags appearing that screamed that he lived.

It was rather touching that they were so excited, but then again, it didn't feel like it was him they missed. Starscream went on and checked his messages to see that all his friends had written goodbyes after his disappearance. They had never thought he would see them, so they had been more confident about writing endearing things. When Starscream saw the personal messages sent by Team Prime, then he truly felt missed. The messages were similar to each other, but they admitted that the time they had spent together in peace had been nice, and the Autobots wished that they had had more time together. No one had expected it would end so soon.

Bulkhead added that he wished he hadn't hit him too hard during the War, and he told a short story about killing a clone and still regretting that he had 'killed' Starscream so easily. Arcee too said that she shouldn't have hit him in the stairwell, and that she should have been kinder since he was trying. Even Optimus wrote something, though simple, that was chilling just because Starscream knew how wise the writer was.

 _May you find peace in the Allspark._

Yes, he shivered briefly, even though peeping eyes watched everything he did. Starscream knew he was being recorded, and bots were only keeping quiet for the sake of those videos. They saw him check other messages, but did not understand Starscream's shock when he came across another.

For just months ago, Shiloh had sent something to him, the vehicon who Steve had said was about to join the Allspark. Was it him who had sent it, or another vehicon? But why would a vehicon use a dead friend's account to message someone else who was dead? Starscream greedily read what had been written.

 _I really hope that you aren't dead. I know you don't go down easily, so I pray that you are just scheming up an escape plan or something. I only heard what happened to you and how you disappeared because I was in the hospital for a bit. Oh, I know it is a lot to hope for, but I want you, Steve, and Valor to come back together. What happened to all of you? I know that the fragging organization had different intentions for Steve and Valor, but if only… I want you to rescue them or something and bring them home._

Fresh pain struck his spark, yet he excitedly wrote:

 _I'm alive. Where are you?_

But there was no immediate answer. Right, if he wasn't busy, then he would have already heard the news and written something else. Yet he wouldn't have training today at the academy, and Shiloh wouldn't have any club meeting so early in the day. Starscream suddenly feared that something else had happened to Shiloh during the time he had been away. He searched for another vehicon contact to ask, but saw Carnation first. Starscream read his message, but it seemed too that he was busy and didn't know he was alive yet.

He wrote that he was alive, before racking his memories for a vehicon name he had heard Shiloh say. Macbeth, wasn't that one of his friends? Was he alive? Starscream found his contact and sent his question about Shiloh, then saw that he was immediately replying.

 _Moonwing! Yes, Shiloh is well. He has a sword-fighting competition today. He is almost done, and you should see him afterwards!_

When the vehicon Macbeth gave him the address, Starscream rushed to the nearest groundbridge station and warped to Tarn. Of course, that was where any fighting competition could be expected to be held. Starscream slipped past the guards without needing to show any tickets or be checked for explosives. Some just followed him in, trying to catch up to him while calling his name.

It seemed that Starscream had just arrived too late. The single sword competition had just ended, with the winners already leaving the podium. Wheeljack, though specializing in double blades, came down from the first place spot. In second place, with the respective red medal on his chest, was the little vehicon Shiloh. His blind side was turned to Starscream as he looked at his smiling instructor, Firestar. Someone else was on the third place spot, but Starscream did not recognize them, nor did he care.

There was a crowd of vehicons around Firestar, permitted to be here on the ground level instead of up in the stands. They were applauding and hopping in unrestrained excitement to have a vehicon in such a victorious position. Wheeljack stopped to say something to Shiloh, and his expression was friendly although he had killed many vehicons in his time. He seemed impressed, likely because he had just fought the vehicon and had underestimated him. Though he had beaten Shiloh, Wheeljack seemed to be saying to him now, "Hey, you did good out there."

A hubbub began when bots started to notice Starscream walking down the aisle towards the floor. The vehicons started to notice, and upon seeing him, they hurried to Shiloh. Macbeth grabbed Shiloh, spinning him so that he saw Starscream approaching. The vehicon swore loudly before galloping across the way, not realizing that the cameras had swung to Starscream to show him on the big screens.

"Primus-" Shiloh gasped before striking Starscream with such force that he was bowled over. The medal clanged against Starscream's chest as Shiloh yanked him back up to his feet then jumped into him again. This time he caught Shiloh, stumbling back with the vehicon's legs swinging free in the air.

"You live," Starscream gasped now. "I was under the impression that you-"

"Shut up. _You're_ alive?"

Wheeljack stopped and watched, as everyone else did, as Starscream swung the vehicon around, the two of them laughing in relief.

"I saw Valor just after the attack. He said you went down fighting."

"Yeah, well, I would have died. But some doctors found me and sent me off to Ratchet in the emergency ward. Ratchet! Can you believe that _he_ , the one who blinded me, _saved_ me? Oh, it was so ironic. He didn't even know and I didn't even tell him. So, _so_ ironic- I can't even be mad anymore. All I can do is laugh and be happy that he tried that hard to save a random vehicon."

The handle of Shiloh's sword was digging uncomfortably into Starscream's side, but again, he didn't care.

"Do you know about Steve and Valor?" Shiloh asked. "And the other sixtyish vehicons that went missing?"

"Ah…" And his hesitation said enough. "Steve is…"

Shiloh's tone fell. "Are you _sure_?"

Starscream murmured, "But Valor might be alive. I saw him getting captured, and they said they put too much effort into him. I'll tell you more in private, but I believe that they had another purpose for him."

"Then let's go back to my apartment! You have to tell me everything."

Shiloh got up and snatched Starscream's wrist. He bolted down the aisle, dragging Starscream until he ran along with him. Again, Starscream abandoned his fans and ran off to somewhere no one could predict. The medal bounced and clinked with their steps until they reached the public warp station. There was a portal there without a line, and the employee that served them was so surprised by Starscream that he didn't notice when Shiloh only paid for one traveller.

They just hurried into Iacon, zipping into an alley so that Shiloh could pull out his illegal portal gun.

"Carry this everywhere now," Shiloh explained. "Because who knows what will happen, being a vehicon in a time like this?"

He teleported them directly into his apartment.

"Though only a few vehicons have vanished, not at the rate of before. I don't know what that means."

Starscream said, "It means they have perfected their plague weapon."

They sat and Starscream explained everything about the vehicons. He recapped those he had seen being tested, and those that had been recorded on video getting killed to make Predacons accustomed to the evil deed. He revealed that Valor had joined the organization, getting reforged with Predacon parts and believing that other vehicons would receive those same upgrades. He talked about seeing Steve in the Allspark, past lives, and how the other vehicons had died.

"So they are all probably dead," Shiloh sighed heavily. "Valor too I suppose, if his usefulness ran out. Poor Mint… He stopped playing music once he lost his partner in crime. Their songs got more attention after you disappeared and everyone was rewatching your solo flight. So bots were actually sad to hear that Valor went missing. For once, the world felt bad and cared about a vehicon. And they feel sad for Mint, who vows not to play again until Valor is found."

"What happened to the vehicon club?"

"Ours got trashed by Predacons and Decepticons. We moved to a South club, those who are brave enough to go after the vehicon genocide. Mint doesn't go there."

"I see."

Starscream eventually talked more about Chaar, without saying that the name of the planet, and that he had brought back Megatron and Shockwave. He told him that all his memories were back, and that it had been difficult to have them so suddenly. But his intentions and feelings that had been cultivated earlier were the same. But Shiloh cared much more about the vehicons, and acted as though he hadn't heard about Megatron.

"Oh Steve…" Shiloh moaned. "It doesn't feel real. How could everyone just be dead? We don't know where they are, so it just feels like… they will come back."

Starscream touched the vehicon, but Shiloh sighed, "I know, but I am just saying… I've heard of so many vehicons dying, but I could never feel fear or sadness unless it was happening right in front of me. In the club, those that died right there seemed dead. I fought so hard to stop it… in vain. But it doesn't even feel vain because I can't connect everything. Why can't I feel it?"

But something was disturbing the vehicon enough to make him tremble in his seat. Starscream knew Shiloh was an individual driven by strong feelings, which had made him want to be a fighter. So he was not incapable of feeling. This was just the relatable occurrence where a logical mind fights the urge to deny everything.

Shiloh had already taken off his sword and medal, not in the mood anymore to care about what he had accomplished today. Starscream decided that they should go outside, and as they walked, Starscream told him that he thought he had been brave to finally commit to a competition.

"Bad luck you just missed my last fight," Shiloh mumbled. "But we can watch the videos of it later."

Starscream took Shiloh to the energon shop where Starscream had worked under Kup. The old veteran and a familiar coworker were there and greeted him merrily. It was strangely empty inside, however, and Kup explained it.

"The hostility against the Predacons resulted in undue hostility against other animalistic types like the Insecticons. Our best customers haven't been coming into the city as often lately."

After seeing Kup, Starscream went to Knockout's and introduced Shiloh to him. He had heard Starscream mention him before, but Knockout was too busy to talk. He had a customer knocked out in the back, so far now, he shoved Starscream and the vehicon into a hot oil bath.

Finally, Starscream was clean but still marked by tiny scratches and scuffs. He expected someone to beckon him to the High Council meeting at any time, but it did not happen yet. So he let Shiloh scavenge and find a buffer and some polish to begin work on him. Only Knockout, once finished, came in and quickly yanked everything from the vehicon's grasp.

"Not that fast! These things take time and one has to be careful."

Clearly, it _was_ going to take time since Knockout wanted every part of him to shine again. Starscream sighed in defeat and sat down, and Shiloh stood by in embarrassed silence, now empty-handed.

"Honestly, I cannot believe you ran off like that, looking like this all day!" Knockout guffawed. "I thought you had more self-respect!"

"Well, I _did_ end up returning, didn't I?"

Knockout was carefully polishing his chest, stopping briefly only to lean back and search for marks under the wavering band of light.

"Where did you go?" he asked.

Starscream told him, then concluded, "But still I came back rather quickly, didn't I? I was looking forward to looking my best again."

Knockout puffed out a laugh. The vehicon wandered off just to look around Knockout's place, which Knockout only allowed since he was a friend of Starscream. Knockout did Starscream's arms and started on his legs, not fearing that the vehicon would steal anything. Then the vehicon came back, snorting once he saw Knockout holding Starscream by the ankle and polishing his foot in the air with a smaller buffer.

"What are you laughing at?" Starscream challenged.

"Oh, nothing." He walked in and selected a stray chair for himself.

Starscream thought that someone would call him soon, forcing him to leave half-polished. He was a bit afraid of that, but was glad when Knockout finished his wings. At least that was done. And just having them getting polished had been the most relaxing, when he spread them and felt massaged all across the surfaces. Starscream had started to fall asleep because of how nice it felt, but then Knockout shoved the smallest, buzzing buffer against his face. Jolted awake and spluttering, Starscream glared at Knockout as he laughed at his own prank.

"But hold still." Knockout cooled his laughter. "I am going to do your face now."

Shiloh had fallen asleep in the corner. Seeing him, Starscream envied him and wanted to go lie down before getting called out. He mentioned it to Knockout, who said in response, "If they're letting you settle in, they might just give you the night off to recover. Is there any big rush?"

Starscream shrugged. "Things do not seem well here on Cybertron."

"Wait, hold still. Okay yes, but, what difference does a day make? And I'm sure everyone just wants some time to cool down and think about what they're going to do with you, Megatron, and Shockwave. To think of some plans perhaps, if they want to give you all Trials…"

"Mm."

"Those Autobots know you wanted to run around finding everyone too. Isn't this just them being nice to you?" Knockout said. "Anyway, you might as well rest here for the night."

Shiloh slipped from his chair and stretched.

"Well, if nothing else is going on, then I'll go." He shrugged. "It was nice to meet you, Knockout. And 'Scream, thanks for taking my mind off things and hanging out with me."

The vehicon left after they replied to him. It was abrupt, but Knockout seemed to like being left alone with him. He soon said to Starscream, "So do you get as tired, now that that energy is out of you?"

"I don't, but it sounds like you are asking for a different reason. Are you already trying to scheme a movie out of me?"

"Maybe. Aren't you the clever one?"

"Sometimes you are just too transparent. And let me guess, yet _another_ horror movie?"

"I didn't say that was my favourite genre," Knockout smiled. "I keep telling you- we only watch so many of them because I enjoy watching you squirm."

"So I am correct."

"I haven't seen your reactions in a long time. _Buuut_ no one said we would be watching an Earth film. They made something recently on Cybertron that models Earth movies, but with dark energon zombies crawling out from the ground after the plates shifted." Knockout waggled the fingers of one hand. "Stuck there from when Megatron raised the dead, freed at last! Good reviews too, very scary. And it's worse because it actually makes you stop and wonder if this happened, if there are any zombies shambling around in the wilderness even after Unicron's defeat. Ha, anyway, want to remember some traumatizing flashbacks together?"

Starscream's scowl said no, because he knew that the movie would frighten him more than the other movies had. But he didn't want to say no, because Knockout would instantly taunt him. So instead he agreed in a mutter, "Fine. After this."

He just prayed that someone would call him before or during the film. Or, if not, that Knockout would react worse than him and have nothing to tease Starscream about.

Knockout insisted that he take the time first to have Starscream's cockpit added back in, so that he could use it for storage and not look so terribly thin. He then even fixed his insignia before announcing that they could watch the movie. At last, Knockout collected some of the trendy, carved energon snacks that Starscream had been unable to consume before without getting sick. They had just settled down when Starscream did get called, but since he had been comfortably settled, he wished that he actually had been left alone with Knockout. His initial hope now came as a disappointment.

"I am getting too many demands," Jetfire told him. "If you could please officially answer the Press to get it done. Just get it over with already, and hopefully the excitement will die down. And bots have been shipping gifts to you, so please collect them before the Vos post office gets crammed with them."

"Fine, I will return at once."

Then Starscream groaned just to Knockout. He had had enough of running around Cybertron, and although he wanted to see old faces, he also wanted the quiet time of being alone with individuals.

"I will be as quick as possible," Starscream just promised.

"I predict something else will call you away. Don't worry about it. One day, Cybertron will be calm and peaceful, and then I can smelt you to the couch and you won't have anywhere else to go."

"That will be the day."

"Hey, at least you look good enough now for the official interview. You're welcome."

Starscream huffed but smiled. Finally, he begrudgingly got up to go.

"Goodbye then," he told Knockout.

"For now," Knockout replied.

"Yes, for now."

Then, Starscream departed again for Vos.


	35. Chapter 34: The Colours of His Memories

**There are many quotes and events in this chapter taken directly from _the Convenant of Primus_ and _Exodus_ , canon material for the aligned continuity.**

* * *

After Starscream answered all the press's questions with mostly lies, things did calm down. Bots stopped following him physically, preferring now just to let their admiring gazes pursue his form. He heard praising whispers as he passed by about his strong spirit and inspirational recovery. Starscream raised his chin and strode into the post office, collecting the presents sent to him then wondering what to do with them.

They couldn't be thrown away, so with the help of other Seekers, he carried them into his room and left a message for everyone to stop sending him gifts. As he was trying to organize gem carvings and jewelry, Jetfire came to his door. This was for no visit; Silverbolt was with him, so there was only one place they were going. Yet Jetfire still affirmed, "It's time."

They walked to a specific alley and waited. Not long after, a groundbridge portal opened up and they passed through it. Starscream hadn't been entirely sure of where the secret place was where Optimus had taken Megatron and Shockwave, and he hadn't tried to guess. Now, his eyes expanded as he stepped out into an entirely new city that he had never seen before. None of the buildings were exceptionally tall, but he soon realized why with a glance up at the metal roof above them.

They were underground. Though there was plenty of room to fly over the buildings and between them, Starscream still felt that regular discomfort every natural flier felt when underground. Not that he, Jetfire, or Silverbolt would reveal it, as they continued to the city's center. Though the frightening silence of the lifeless, underground city made the feeling worse.

"This is the bunker of New Spark, isn't it?" Starscream murmured it, for instincts made him wary of being loud in quiet places.

"Yes," Jetfire replied. "Above us is the real city, though part of it is still under construction."

The streets were empty, but dim lights glowed down each one of them. He peered into the shadows between each streetlight as they passed each road, and he gazed into the windows of pitch black apartment rooms. There was no movement where he expected some to be, but if he had seen movement, it would only have frightened him.

"What do you think?" Silverbolt asked. But his tone was stiff, since Silverbolt was still trying to handle the truth he had been told about Starscream. That Moonwing _was_ Starscream, and that he was supposed to be amicable to the former Decepticon.

"It appears secure," Starscream replied, but he was more assuming that the roof, floor, and walls containing the city were impenetrable. He couldn't see such things from here, and he wished that they would just leave the ground and fly.

But after looking more closely at Silverbolt, he noticed a welded cut barely visible on his silver back.

"What happened to you?" Starscream asked the Vos Air Commander.

Silverbolt seemed unnerved to have Starscream discovering his wound, but he tried to answer calmly, "I chased a dumb Newspark into the Predacon territory. As you can imagine, our roaring engines attracted hostile attention. I had to dive into the thick of the beasts to help him out of there. Got him to ride on my back, which slowed me down enough for a Predacon to nick me."

Neither of them knew what to say after that, and Jetfire glanced back at them. Starscream busied himself with looking at the apartments as much as he was disturbed by their hollowness.

There was not much else besides the living quarters; there was the restricted station where they had teleported in and places that seemed to stockpile energon. Then, Starscream discovered the centre as he was brought to it. It was a simple square, though large enough to fit at least a thousand bots. There was a stage in the middle and many televisions within the square meant to show everything to the audience up close. The televisions were all powered off now, so Starscream could only see the silhouettes of those standing on the stage from a distance.

Optimus' shape was recognizable, and for Starscream, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Arcee were equally easy to make out. As hard as he stared, Starscream could see no others. On his way to the stage, however, a whirring noise broke the silence and alarmed him. When he turned to see Windblade flying towards them, he hated that he had been startled so easily in front of everyone. But she had been the one who had authorized their arrival into New Spark's bunker, and she now joined the other Autobots on the stage.

Starscream gave up searching for Megatron and Shockwave. He just stayed quiet and now followed this group of Autobots somewhere below this stage. They flitted into a massive elevator, and Starscream clenched his hands as they descended just a bit deeper underground.

At last, he saw everyone. Yet the way that they were positioned made him immediately sense the tension in the air. Megatron stood away from the collected mass of the High Council, surrounded by Divebomb, Grimwing, and Ripclaw. Starscream sensed that some of these Autobots had not been left with Megatron for long, and that they had just been summoned here. The veterans glared suspiciously in Megatron's direction, and the defensive Predacons stood tall and glared back. But upon Starscream's arrival, these Autobots glanced in his direction with that same distrustful hate.

Starscream had felt himself different for a while, living among the Autobots and working as one of them. These recently arrived Autobots, Ironhide, Elita One, and Perceptor, looked at him as though he was the same as any criminal locked up in prison. He thought that would have angered him, they not understanding his efforts, but a feeling of fear suddenly warmed up within him. He wanted so much to prove to them that he had changed, but he didn't know how to express it to strangers. And if he didn't know how, he started to question himself illogically.

 _I am different_ , he told himself and looked at them with that message in his eyes. _We are._

But with so many powerful Autobots around him, he felt stripped of the years of his new life as Moonwing. He was just Starscream to them, and that Starscream was a devious, despised enemy. A blanket of shame lay over him even if he did not want to feel ashamed, and he knew that Megatron felt it as well.

Shockwave was ignoring all this. He and Ratchet were in the far corner, their backs to everyone as they worked on a computer. All their movements were soft, revealing that animosities had melted away as they collaborated on a passion. Starscream remembered when Ratchet had worked on the Nemesis, and Knockout had complained that the two worked so well together that they acted like lifelong pals.

Vertebreak sat in beast-form behind Shockwave. Although the Predacon understood nothing, he stood with him to guard Shockwave from any possible harassment. When Vertebreak and the other Predacons saw Starscream, however, their faces brightened.

Jazz and Ultra Magnus had been beside their glaring comrades, but since they had spent so much time with Starscream, they were less aggressive to him than to Megatron and Shockwave. Naturally, distrust remained, but they at least gazed at Starscream like they gazed at anyone else. Starscream then remembered that the vast majority in the room would support him, thus he regained his confidence.

Until he stopped regarding the bots in the room, and noticed all the equipment for the cortical psychic patch.

The day had come. He had anticipated it for so long, but now he jumped. All these Autobots would see his memories, his murders, and see the readings of his emotions. And what if the stress of the Trial tampered with those emotions? If anything but sadness appeared for the death of Cliffjumper, for example, how would they see him?

But Starscream would not be the only one going. Now that everyone was here… Starscream looked to Megatron as he was already looking at him. Megatron had told Starscream that he did not regret the War, only the extremity of many of his actions. He was much more at risk than Starscream was.

"Relax," Jetfire whispered to Starscream. "Everyone actually wants your help, so you're essentially guaranteed to be given forgiveness."

He had used the plural _you_ , including Megatron and Shockwave as well.

Optimus lumbered to the centre of the room, and Shockwave and Ratchet too were now redirecting their attention. Jetfire hushed down as Optimus calmly regarded everyone, readying himself to speak.

"Fellow Autobots. I understand that there are emotions that arise due to the presence of Megatron, Starscream, and Shockwave. However, they claim to no longer be our enemies, and they offer us aid. Megatron has denounced the Decepticon cause, and he and Shockwave have sought private refuge far from Cybertron for these past several stellar cycles. They have been unaware of the continued fight on Cybertron, and thus have had no connection to it."

Ironhide said, "That we know of."

"In acknowledgement of your suspicions," Optimus went on. "We will affirm their true intentions. However, I am already certain of the result. Understand that Megatron and Shockwave risked much to come here and to reveal their identity to us. Furthermore, we must be thankful to Shockwave, who has already provided us with invaluable information."

Many of the Autobots frowned and looked pensive, but knew that Optimus had made fair points. And Starscream found that no one was paying him much attention now, though surely, he was meant to be given the Trial as well.

"Once we have confirmed their pure intentions, they will locate the main base of operation. Shockwave will search his secret laboratories that his disciples are likely utilizing. They will first pose to be on their side, uncovering their plans and revealing them to us. Then, they will attempt to persuade them from following through with these plans. If they are unable to persuade them, then we must strike their base of operation and force them to end their projects."

Everyone nodded. There was a pause afterwards, a tense one where they wanted to begin, but did not want to force the former Decepticons. They had to volunteer, Starscream sensed, so he moved forward. Yet that was when Megatron's voice cut through the silence.

"I will be the first."

Starscream whipped his head around and gawked, but there was no fear on Megatron's stone face.

Optimus nodded once, slowly, as though he had expected as much. Everyone else was silent, but eyes glowed in surprise as Megatron left the Predacons to approach one of the berths. It was hard to believe he was willingly giving himself up, to show them the inner workings of his reality. And they would see his emotions for every scene, with the outline of colours around the viewing screen. Never had anyone ventured into the honest depths of his spark, and now, that knowledge awed them.

Ratchet left Shockwave and joined Optimus as he walked to the other berth. First, however, he would connect Megatron. The machinery was powered on as the two leaders lay on adjacent, separated berths. Then, the first cord was plugged into the back of Megatron's head, immediately causing him to go limp. The same occurred to Optimus next, but with a gentler touch.

"It begins," Ratchet uttered.

He stepped back as everyone moved to stand in a line and watch the screen. There was already a colour forming, the emotion of Megatron. Starscream was unfamiliar with the colour coding, but he wasn't alone. Ultra Magnus rumbled one word to explain the light red that they saw, and he would explain every colour henceforth.

"Anxiety."

Megatron did not have the appearance of his new self. He had automatically imagined himself as the monster they knew, of spiked armour and greasy scars. Already, Starscream began to understand Megatron's internal suffering from just how he envisioned himself. And though nervous, Megatron stood on a grey floor without edges, calmly standing as Optimus entered just as he appeared today.

"Where shall we begin, Optimus?" Megatron rasped. "There will certainly be much to see."

His bravery in the face of things was impressive.

"We would wish to view the actions you regret," Optimus answered.

No memory appeared yet as Megatron lifted the corner of his mouth.

"I wonder if anyone will be disappointed in what they will find…"

With that said, the two of them floated away like particles in mist. Megatron had thought of a memory, and now he was beyond controlling how much they all would see.

 _There was the beautiful light of day. For the first time, he opened his eyes and saw himself beside the Well of Allsparks. Silvers, blacks, and blues dazzled him as he tried to discover the world he had just been born into. He sat up, his hands moving over the metal ground in confused wonderment, learning how to feel. In the reflection of the metal, Megatron saw himself._

 _His face was silver and broad, with bright eyes shining in amazed blue. That was_ him _, but then he noticed movement around him. There were living things that looked similar to him, but of different sizes and colours. That was_ them _. These bots surrounded him, and lifted him onto his feet. Megatron did not make any attempt to go anywhere, without any innate fear of these bots. He was curious, looking between the individuals among them, not understanding their intentions._

 _They paused, speaking to each other. Megatron did not understand, and could not remember the dialogue. It was senseless babble because of that, then bots nodded in unanimity. Someone behind him pricked him in the arm, and Megatron had glanced back then down to the blue dot welling up. Soon after seeing blood for the first time, everything just went black._

And after that, there was a new darkness. The audience waited, then realized that another memory had already begun. There was faint light, but it was cold and buzzing.

Where did the sunlight go? When was the last time he had seen it?

There were scars on the arms they saw swinging an ax into the wall. And the weary, mechanical movements he made told the audience that these were questions that plagued him.

" _It is not fair," he muttered in a whisper._

The memory was so important to Megatron, that he was able to recall the words spoken.

 _A companion beside him grumbled, "What's that?"_

" _Why do some bots come down here, to the darkness and heavy labor, and why do others not?"_

 _The nameless bot loaded an ore cart, and absent-mindedly answered, "Maybe not. But it'd be one way or the other. I mean, y'have to be something, right? Miner's a job, always going to be busy."_

 _Megatron, not but D-16 at this time, gashed his pick into the wall. "But mining can be done by mindless machines. We are wasted here, far away from anything of note. We could do so much more. We don't even have names. That is how little we are accounted for."_

 _The unnamed bot with the cart glanced at the bitter speaker as he twisted his pick into the wall. Tensed with frustration, Megatron accidentally snapped the pickaxe in his grasp. The handle came out, which he let fall to the dusty ground._

 _The listener shrugged. "Name's a difficult thing. People'd assume things about you, with a name. Means you have to live up to it forever. This way you can just be what you are. Whatever that is."_

 _But Megatron was provoked further by the casual acceptance of the other worker. He growled, "Everyone used to get names. Now, they don't. Without names, here we are. Used. Discarded. Nothing and nobody."_

There was an angry purple edging the frame as fire burned in his spark. Another memory fazed into view.

 _Megatron watched yet another gladiator fight. The fists in the edges of his vision tightened as something clicked within him. He heard death screams, saw blue splatter, and heard the crazed cries of the audience. He was calm despite it all, revealing that he had long since become desensitized to pain and death. He watched glory, victory, and despair, and saw potential in it._

The screen which Starscream saw turned deep blue, tinged with purple. Excitement and anger both infected Megatron as he skipped ahead.

 _He had been in line, waiting to sign himself onto the list for the contest that night. When he came up to the sign-in table, the promoter clutched a pen and stiffly poised it over a datapad. He did not even give the ragged miner a glance as he droned, "Name?"_

Optimus and Megatron, somewhere, had been watching. For the first time thus far, Megatron spoke. It was so sudden and unexpected that it made them re-adjust themselves where they stood and soak his words.

 _Memory Megatron was silent, staring at the pen in the promoter's hand._

"At the time, I did not know what to say. My mind wandered to the stories that had been whispered in the shafts, mystical ones that no one believed in. But these stories comprised heroes, weapons of power, great deeds, and apocalyptic events. I had remembered a character that I had felt akin to. One who was unjustly hated; one with power and ambition."

" _Megatronus."_

 _The promoter looked up at last. "M-Megatronus?"_

"The Fallen," Megatron murmured. "For I thought to myself, surely, what could fall could rise again."

A chill ran down Starscream's back as the room felt colder. In this silence as well, it felt as though he was the only living spark here, alone in watching Megatron's tale. The screen was like a window, a private view for Starscream to see what he never had been able to grasp.

Megatron displayed hints of fear to remember this. Starscream felt that a line had connected him to Megatron, because he felt this fear too. Both knew the unchangeable future that would come, paved by each step of each memory. The ignorant, damaged spark of Megatron watched himself be signed into the night's fights, to maim and not kill.

Only, they did not see this fight.

 _The floor was gritty with pieces of limbs and armour. Internal fluids mixed with blood were smeared over top of them and the floor as Megatron leaned over his opponent: a battered and dying, Insecticon combiner. He tried to crawl away, but was crushed to the floor by Megatron's heavy foot upon his back. Now, his many limbs fluttered in panic as Megatron raised two maces._

" _Who defeats Megatronus?" he roared._

 _He smashed the helpless opponent; gore splattered his face and chest._

" _No one! No one defeats Megatronus! I still function!"_

 _For show, he challenged the crowd. He flung pieces of the small combiner into the riled audience as trophies, calling out, "Remember! Remember that you saw Megatronus! It is the best day of your life! Remember!"_

The frame was white. Neutrality. Megatron saw himself fresh after a slaughter, and felt nothing.

" _Megatronus! Megatronus! Megatronus!"_

 _The gladiator's arms were raised to the sky, and he peered across the admiring faces of the audience. In the constant cheering of his chosen name, he heard as one syllable vanished._

" _Megatron! Megatron! Megatron!"_

 _Short, ending on a powerful note. It was a name no Cybertronian had ever been given, and his fans had given him at last, a name of his own._

Megatron.

Until now, Megatronus had meant nothing to Starscream, but now there was something about _Megatronus_ that struck him with powerful sorrow. What did he see in the gore-drenched, roaring gladiator that he sympathized with?

Starscream thought, _It didn't have to be this way._

Then, he knew. When Megatron had opened his eyes to the light of the world, he had been the most innocent being on Cybertron. Guiltless, curious, and reliant on the care of others. When Starscream had reawoken, without memories, he had been the same. But Starscream had immediately found caressing hands, protection, and soothing words to ease him in his pain. They called him Moonwing, and he had loved that name.

Starscream had seen the moons shining through the window, and he had compared the glow to his silver parts and his black to the sky's dark silk. Moonwing had dreamily snuggled into the berth, content to be himself where there was love around him. Yet Megatron had had none of this. He came into the world, understanding nothing, and was given no love. The world was cold, when he found himself underground, exposed early to death, injuries, and captivity.

Starscream didn't want to see more, but the future was meant to happen. This broken spark had only just begun to tell his tale, and one that was only skimming the surface. There was Orion Pax, an archivist who was straying from his post, bringing his burning questions to the inspiring activist, Megatron. They had spoken online first, with some of the responses seen as Megatron typed them out. Neutral white again as Megatron did not regret these particular actions. They debated, then, Orion Pax came to Kaon to meet Megatron in person.

 _Megatron had led Orion Pax, a smaller and meek personality, up the steps of a pyramid. The archivist looked over a collected crowd of the roughest Cybertronians he had ever seen. Megatron was watching his face, seeing how he took in the scarred, filthy slaves and those that gazed back with missing eyes._

" _So, are you with me, librarian?" Megatron asked._

 _Orion Pax was not afraid. "I am with your ideas. For they are my ideas as well."_

" _Excellent." Then Megatron boomed, "Cybertronians! My friend, Orion Pax! Together we will lead all sentient citizens of Cybertron to a new age, a restoration of our former greatness!"_

 _The ragged crowd hollered Megatron's name. Megatron leaned towards Orion Pax, an amused tone within his voice. "Soon, they will chant your name too."_

Fear had ebbed as Megatron still, felt no regret.

The memories faded, as now Megatron was too curious.

"Tell me," he said as they returned to gray. "What do you feel? For you see, as I feel no regret, I wonder if you also feel the same."

Optimus rumbled at last, "From all that we have seen, no one should doubt the motives you had to alter society. Special consideration must be taken in judging your actions, based upon the cruelty in your upbringing. Then and now, I always considered this past of yours. Therefore, the process to enact this alternation of society is all that I condemn."

"You are not alone in this feeling," Megatron told him. "You know already, but those watching do not understand how I have ruminated over it all. The rebellion was necessary, but I studied myself, discovering what drove me to be who I was. And I do not like who I became, one who cared not for the damage done to our home planet, who ceased caring about anyone's suffering."

They were shown scenes of destruction through Megatron's eyes: the burning skeletons of bombed cities, the dead crumpled over and under beams. The frame of the screen darkened with the beginning of sorrow…

Regret.

That was the old world. Starscream remembered it with such clarity now, and he could imagine himself in those places, flying over the cities and observing their pristine glows. That felt like another Cybertron there, an old home so far away that it felt like an ungraspable dream.

Starscream thought, _It's all gone… how could I have participated in that? My home. None of that will ever be the same._

He started thinking more specifically of Vos. Why hadn't he appreciated and loved his homecity as he did now? It had bustled with life, Seekers whizzing around the tallest buildings of the world. All that too, was gone, those lives replaced by the new. Thundercracker, Skywarp… they were gone with that vanished old world.

He shivered. It was so, so cold in this room as he felt Megatron's emotions with him. Yet Starscream knew that he had at least gotten to know this world while Megatron had never. What life or comrades had Megatron had to lose? None. They all could see that Megatron's neglect of the planet's wellbeing was forgivable, whereas Starscream knew he had selfishly destroyed Cybertron for power.

Jetfire's arm crept over his shoulders. He had seen Starscream quivering, but his touch reminded Starscream that the old world had carried over. Jetfire was still here, alive and with him. Letting out an exhale, Starscream stepped closer to him. The sound and movement caused the Autobots and Predacons to glance in Starscream's direction for a moment.

"When Unicron possessed my body," Megatron said, "my spark endured agonizing punishment. I had never known such intense pain, but with it, I understood what it meant to be helpless. For was I ever truly helpless, if I was able to rise to fame and gain a following? I have known struggle, certainly, but I learned what it felt like to lose my will to fight. That feeling of hopelessness under the hand of one more powerful than oneself… I realized that it was an unbearable feeling that no one should endure. I also realized that I had already seen it, and that I had caused this feeling in others. I discovered the true meaning of oppression, and I found that I had been playing the role of the oppressor."

 _Autobots tried to drag their marred bodies back, shooting vainly at Megatron. He moved as though he felt nothing, and intense fear lighted up in their faces. One-by-one, he slaughtered them with his sword driving into their chests, cleaving their spark chambers._

Black regret.

"I realized what cruelty was anew, again as I recognized myself as the inflictor of it. I remembered suddenly, the times when I had felt the impact of the deaths of the nameless. Individuals, everyone was and is. I was disgusted by how I had forgotten, thus I vowed that I would never forget it again."

Then, an individual appeared. A Seeker stood boldly before Megatron with a confident glint in his red eyes. When Starscream saw himself, he jolted under Jetfire's arm. It was the Badlands where he and Megatron had met for the first time, before he was a Decepticon.

" _You cannot threaten me, Megatron." Starscream smirked, visage trying to appear unimpressed by the rebellion leader. "If you want a war, you might get it; but if you want to win a war, you're going to need me and my forces…"_

But this unintimidated Air Commander changed. He was silver, and something had changed in his posture in the next memory. Starscream saw Megatron looking down at his past self, who looked so small in his hunching. All could see caution in the memory Starscream's eyes as he tried to look non-threatening before his leader.

" _I assure you, Megatron, that all will work-"_

 _Megatron's thick hand snagged Starscream by the throat, hoisting him into the air. The amount of surprise upon his face showed that this was not yet a common occurrence. But there were no more Seekers left to support Starscream; only Soundwave, some other former slaves, and some vehicons watched at the side. There was a swift clang as Starscream kicked against Megatron's chest, but the grip tightened and cut off the blood circulation to his head. When Starscream went limp, Megatron dropped him. He watched the pile of limbs and wings collect itself, aided by no one._

" _Your arrogance has cost us again, Starscream," he hissed to him. "You will learn to control it, or you will perish. You will call me Lord, and you will learn your place."_

It was surreal to see himself crumpling. Starscream lay one hand over his mouth, and kept watching. Yet the venom was gone even as he had seen himself hurt by Megatron. He could not look at Megatron the same after seeing his beginning and understanding the tragedy of it. Once again, Starscream thought, _This did not have to happen._

Megatron just could not feel anything.

 _In another scene in the front of the Nemesis, Megatron hit Starscream. The context was not given again, but Starscream stumbled back, no indication of resisting what was happening. Something in his side sparked, but he tactfully made himself look small and pathetic. It satisfied Megatron enough to stop his pursuit._

Regret around the screen. Then, something unexpected appeared.

 _Megatron gasped awake with a desperate groan. Starscream was bent over his burned body, grinning as he finished tugging the shard of dark energon from his chest. The tattered remains of the space bridge floated around them, behind the ever growing smile of Starscream after he had glanced again at the shard._

 _Megatron's eyes rolled back, but even after the loss of vision, Starscream's voice echoed from afar._

" _And this time, stay dead!"_

Starscream twitched at the harshness of his own voice. It dripped with vengeful delight, ruthlessness. The owner of that voice had not known the broken spark he had just tried to snuff.

 _Starscream scooted back on the roof of the Nemesis, pointing down to the snowy turf below them. He tried to keep calm, to speak as though he had done nothing wrong. But Megatron was not fooled, for he had seen what Starscream had done. Ultimately, he grabbed Starscream's head by one hand, and dragged him like so into the warship. As scared as he was, pleading and screaming for Megatron's mercy, Starscream made no move to escape._

That day Team Prime had seen Megatron return and crash into Starscream. Now, they finally knew why, and what happened as the _Nemesis_ departed.

It was Starscream's nightmare, now portrayed from a different perspective.

 _Megatron tossed him into a room closed off from other eyes. Within an instant, he was upon him. All he wanted to do was tear and beat the one who had tried to terminate him; he kicked Starscream with his spiked feet into the wall and followed his body to punch him multiple times. The massive fists dented and tore layers of metal off Starscream, who was already shrieking in terror and for him to stop. But the wrath had overtaken Megatron's mind. He drove Starscream into a corner and continued to strike him relentlessly._

 _He was not even hitting as hard as he could. Evidently, Megatron wanted this to last; Starscream was not trying to run or push him back either. Starscream dropped onto his side and quaked in energon, wings flung down as he whimpered, "I understand, Master. Never again will I-"_

 _Megatron yanked him off the ground and hurled him at the wall. There was a crack before Starscream slid down it. Starscream's eyes flared wide as Megatron stomped after him._

" _You lack officers!" Starscream cried. "Spare me, Lord Megatron. I can be invaluable to you. I can advise you about aerial warfare, which has always given the Decepticons the upperhand!"_

 _His plea ended with a piercing shriek. Megatron had grabbed him again and smashed him into the ground. The final act was the most vicious, with those punches and kicks flying out one after the other. Starscream contorted and screamed, begged, but Megatron stopped only once he had decided it. Once he had cooled, he looked down and discovered that Starscream was not dead. He had survived, a twitch and a flicker of life in his eyes that Megatron could have exterminated right then. However, Megatron plucked Starscream from the ground, taking him to the med bay and passing him off to Knockout's shocked and intimidated hands._

Everyone turned to look at Starscream. No one had known the worst of the punishments, or exactly what had gone on between them. They hadn't even guessed at the frequency of the small incidents. Jetfire stroked him, believing that Starscream had been horrified by the memory. Yet Starscream's emotions had changed. Dark black surrounded the screen as Megatron regretted every blow on the individual who was too scared to defend himself.

The true meaning of oppression.

 _Megatron was going to terminate Starscream. The Seeker hunched and hopped back, sensing what was coming, but he chose not to flee. When Megatron raised his blaster at him, Starscream fell to his knees, pressing his hands together and wailing his plea in a stiff voice of terror. He did not dare raise his heat-seekers at Megatron. Starscream bowed on the dirty floor of the mine, desperate for this tactic to work as it had other times._

Fate had brought them here. Megatron- he was just that innocent Newspark full of wonder. How cruel circumstances were, giving him this loveless life. What could he have been doing, elsewhere, instead of pointing that blaster at him? Back then, Megatron had not felt the fresh regret that was now painted around the scene. With the black that Starscream saw now, he murmured, "Megatron…"

 _Dreadwing raised his sword for the strike. Megatron gripped Dreadwing's own gun and fired it, letting red burn through his spark. The large Seeker fell forward, killed instantly; Starscream sat gasping and checking himself over on the floor. His voice was still high from his fear, but Starscream laughed giddily and thanked Megatron sincerely._

From all that they had seen thus far, it was astonishing to all but Starscream that Megatron had chosen him over Dreadwing. The complexity started to reveal its face to the Autobots, especially as this moment seemed to have caused a change in Starscream's attitude.

 _Starscream stood with Knockout, explaining the catastrophe that had occurred when he had tried to create a super soldier for Megatron. He appeared to be loyal to him, but even then, he had failed to be the Decepticon Megatron wanted. His wings were flickering, lowering, and he flinched at Megatron's sudden movements._

There was a time passage.

" _Lord Megatron, if you would just allow me to explain things-"_

" _No." Megatron raised his fist and curled it slowly for Starscream to see. "Allow_ me _to explain things, in a manner which I know you'll understand…"_

 _Knockout stood untouched, as Megatron closed in on Starscream in particular. Those wings fell again, a helpless, fearful expression overtaking Starscream's face as he whimpered pathetically._

Regret. Oppression.

And Starscream had full proof now that Megatron wished he had never abused him. All the more sympathy went out to Megatron for it.

What next?

The end.

 _Megatron rose on his feet, examining the modifications to his body. A line of Autobots gazed at him, affirming that Unicron had been expelled from him, and starting to realize that a spark remained in that body._

It was the memory of when Megatron had admitted his change of spark. All watched again as he renounced the Decepticon cause, and they understood now the things that had brought him to this decision.

 _The sun had set, for he had been flying for long. The smudged ruins of the planet had long since stopped smouldering, and now lay cold in the night. Even the blue glow of fresh energon did not disguise the emptiness after all the guns had gone silent._

Sadness crept into Megatron and Starscream alike as they saw these cities. The shifting of plates may have topplied some of the buildings that had dared remain standing. However, ashes had settled again, and even the massive earthquakes across the planet had hardly made it look any worse than the War had.

 _A wide expanse opened up before him. Within it, there was an unmoving speck. But the form of the speck was familiar, and Megatron descended toward it. Its broad, purple frame became more visible. Shockwave turned his gaze from the stars to who could have been Unicron, but he knew it was not. If Unicron had succeeded, then it was unlikely that Shockwave would have had the honour of personally being hunted down by him._

" _Lord Megatron," Shockwave acknowledged him before he had transformed. "I assume the Autobots and Predacons were successful in saving Cybertron."_

" _Indeed." Megatron walked closer to the calm-voiced bot. "The War is over, Shockwave. I will no longer be the leader of the Decepticons, for they are no more."_

 _Shockwave turned his head slightly, looking into the distance with no end. To him, all directions appeared to have no end from here, but if he just picked a direction, he would have found one._

" _What will you do now?" Shockwave asked, a simple but direct question._

 _Megatron looked back to the sky he had just come from. "I want to go where no one will find me. I wish to leave the Autobots to do to Cybertron as they wish."_

 _But Megatron had still not stated what he would do then. The two stood, looking at each other and realizing that they no longer knew the purpose of their lives._

" _Will you leave Cybertron?" Shockwave continued._

" _I will, when I am able. However, I have remembered someone important. Do you know where I can locate Soundwave?"_

" _No one has heard from him since the final battle over the omega lock. He has not announced his presence on Cybertron."_

" _No one can hold Soundwave prisoner," Megatron uttered. "So what has become of him? Surely, he has not perished…"_

" _I do not believe he is offline," Shockwave agreed. "But he is certainly unable to reach us at this time."_

 _Megatron paused, unsure. His mind flashed back briefly to show that Knockout had been among the Autobots, with Starscream at the scene as well. With that, Megatron clearly thought that Soundwave would have been there if he could have been._

In the present, Megatron knew what had happened to Soundwave because Starscream had told him. But in this memory, Megatron had to make a decision, and it was to not give up on the hope of Soundwave's survival.

" _I will wait for him," Megatron said. "Our lives are long, and I am sure that one of us will find the other in the near future."_

 _With a glance at the stars, Megatron asked, "Are you interested in accompanying me, Shockwave?"_

" _I believe that I am. If you require resources and a means for long distance travel, I can also provide them. First, however, I must attend to one last thing."_

Shockwave was not moving, but Vertebreak nuzzled his head under his hand and against his leg.

 _A Predacon was suspended in yellow liquid. Ripclaw hung there, still unconscious, until she was zapped to life and the liquid began to drain around her. The curled Predacon opened her eyes and beheld the approaching purple bot. Aggression was nonexistent as she immediately associated the smaller being as her lifegiver. Shockwave released her from her confines, from which she crawled out and stretched her legs. Megatron watched Shockwave retrieve a small energon cube and offer it to her by brushing it against her teeth._

 _Instinct drove her to nibble the blue, and once she tasted its sweetness, she devoured the entire thing. Now, she associated this thing with nourishment, not the small beings calmly watching her. She followed when Shockwave went outside, and Megatron walked after her swinging tail._

 _Shockwave beckoned to the sky. He gestured, trying to make himself understood._

" _There are Autobots and other Predacons out there like you. Find them, and they will take care of you."_

 _She read his movements, comprehending that more small beings and big beings like her were somewhere in the distance. There was much out there to see as well: the strange structures of the broken amusement park, mazes of streets, and a welcoming, open sky. They expected that a spark new like hers would be burning in curiosity, but this Predacon was affectionate unlike any other Shockwave had since known. She ignored the unknown world and her curiosity, lying down instead and trying to wrap herself around Shockwave._

 _Shockwave tried again to send her off to Predaking, Darksteel, and Skylynx. Her head bobbed with his hand's movement, then she stuck her face under it to be touched._

" _Perhaps we should allow the Predacon to accompany us," Shockwave said. "We would receive additional protection."_

 _He acted as though it was only for practical reasons, but Shockwave found himself patting the head of the Predacon._

 _Megatron considered it, then added, "If we are to have one, then why not more?"_

It was a hint that they might appreciate the company, but they didn't say it then. It was only evident as the blue colour of energon glowed around the television screen, the colour of happiness as Megatron remembered their choice.

 _Shockwave gathered five of the fossils Starscream had collected. The companions, who would become Vertebreak, Stormrazor, Corhada, Grimwing and Blackbeak, and Divebomb. Briefly, the faces of these Predacons flashed for each remain._

For Megatron could not help but think of their futures together.

 _They were in the front room of the spaceship. The white light of stars streaked by, but the ship was on autopilot for now. Ripclaw was transformed into bot-form, looking at the board that Shockwave had brought out. Megatron stood out of the way to the side, watching Shockwave educating the Predacon. With a stylus, Shockwave wrote sentences in Cybertronian script, designing simple pictures beside them so that she would connect the new words to concepts._

" _The sun rose and coloured the land."_

 _Shockwave was nodding, crouching to draw new pictures as she continued._

Time passed.

 _They had reached their destination long ago. There were strings of lights already built down the tunnels of the caves as they exited them and emerged onto the cold surface of Chaar. Around Megatron now were Shockwave and all of the Predacon as they headed to the young, small forest they had created. Something caught Grimwing's attention, and Megatron watched him hurry toward a large animal at the outskirts. It dragged itself, one leg behind it limp and useless. Then, when Grimwing tried to pick it up, it squealed and flopped onto its side._

 _The Predacons clustered around it, panic in their voices._

" _What happened to it?"_

" _Oh, what do we do with an organic creature when it is hurt?"_

 _Ripclaw called for Shockwave as he was already coming. Megatron walked behind him, watching Shockwave carefully stretching the animal out over his blaster. He held it steady on him like so, then retreated to a med bay._

 _There, they asked him, "Can organic creatures be healed?"_

" _Is it too delicate?" Ripclaw asked. "Will it die?"_

" _No," Shockwave rumbled. He welded together a splint, taking the time to measure it and secure it around the animal's leg. The eyes of the Predacons glowed with warmth as they watched all that Shockwave did with emotional admiration._

 _At some point, they had tucked the creature into a nest made of palm-like leaves. Megatron entered the room and saw Shockwave already seated beside the animal, petting it with a single finger and encouraging it to feed from a dish. He pointed toward the food, then dragged the dish closer until it was under its muzzle. When the beast nibbled at it, Shockwave praised it in his regular, monotone voice._

Yet the voice did not seem as cold as the Autobots remembered it to be, after hearing it in this context. The bot they had thought to be emotionless suddenly seemed to be concealing something below his surface. And the remaining blue told them that Megatron was still happy in these memories with the Predacons and Shockwave.

 _Ripclaw hugged a bumblepuppy and cooed, "Ooohhh I can't believe we got these!"_

 _The wide-eyed creature flapped its metal paws as it reached for Megatron. Ripclaw passed it into his arms, simply picking up another bumblepuppy among the playful swarm of them in the room._

" _That one likes you a lot!" she laughed._

 _With hyper glee, it shoved its ears under Megatron's fingers. He ruffled them without hesitation, and the puppy yipped in complaint when he stopped. Megatron budged to its demands for affection, fully snuggling the creature now against his chest. When Ripclaw laughed, he did not react to it or care, for she was not judging him for doing this._

Even though she knew his past.

 _They were now in the river, every one of them relaxing in the warmth. It was one of those times where Megatron spoke about his past, and now he was telling them how he had worked with Optimus to prevent Unicron's awakening on Earth._

" _I had only selfish intentions," he told them._

Megatron regretted how he had been fully uncaring of others, like he had been of Orion Pax when he had had his old friend back on the Nemesis. But the frame showed that he was happy as he told this story now, and Starscream knew why. Even if Megatron regretted this, he was there warm in the gentle embrace of the river. Starscream remembered it and imagined just how nice it had felt to be in it for a long, cleansing soak. And Megatron was surrounded by his family, who would still love him no matter what he told them he had done. This peace and love was something that Megatron had never had before, and everyone knew it for they had just seen how Megatron had been stolen from privileged life.

 _The door of the spaceship opened in front of two bodies. Two fliers floated neglected in the freezing cold of space, and Megatron pushed himself out to drift towards them. Before reaching them, he already saw the glow of two red eyes watching him. They were wide with shock, sparking with recognition. Starscream, now black, silver, with hints of dark blue, should have been dead. His cut internals spilled out from his gut, but he lay over the other Seeker's body and clung to it protectively. And he kept staring at Megatron, face twitching in slight fear, as intense light poured out from the slit in his chest._

 _Then, Starscream was on a berth. Megatron and Ripclaw were bent over him, intently focused on his broken organs and working to fix each one of them. They passed tools to each other, hands always working on something though with ginger care. Again and again, Megatron injected his own blood into Starscream, though much of it leaked back out and over their busy hands. All the while, Starscream's eyes questioned him, confused and afraid._

 _The body was healed suddenly. It was the moment where Megatron watched life return to Starscream, where he gasped and his eyes took on a brighter hue of red. Immediately, he wriggled and mewled in pain, but Ripclaw was quickly there to comfort him._

Their kindness struck Starscream with a fresh blow, and he appreciated everything more than before. On his own, he remembered several moments with Megatron where he had been careful and helpful to him. Bitter hatred seemed so distant now that it was as though it had never existed. He recalled how he had protested to Ripclaw that the past mattered, but now, he woke to the vibrant discovery that he no longer cared that Megatron had hurt him. Megatron's happiness was his; pain and sadness had been overcome, and to continue watching nearly drove Starscream to tears. His body ached, and he would have dripped lubricant had his body still been weak and damaged.

 _Starscream whispered, "You have to come back with me. You, and Shockwave. You must say for yourself that it is over. They might stop if you do. Soundwave will, and at least they would lose much with him. Contact Shockwave to return, so that we may travel to Cybertron together."_

" _We will not return," Megatron muttered. "You may take a recording, but there is no place for us on Cybertron anymore…"_

 _Defiance and desperation flared in Starscream's eyes._

He had won over Megatron's spark. Much time passed to show the next scene.

" _I don't know if war has broken out over Cybertron," Starscream told them, sitting in a backseat behind Shockwave and seen from the corner of Megatron's eye. "But the Forged seem to be the intelligent leaders gathering the gangs of Decepticons under one force. Your disciples, Shockwave. Thus it only stands to reason that they are using your hidden laboratories to conceal themselves. We will have to search each one, then when we find some of their forces, we will demand to see their leaders to find their main headquarters."_

" _That is understood," Shockwave said. "However, your presence does not seem to be necessary. Their distrust in you will endanger your life and our mission."_

" _I know that they knew about the energy within me," Starscream replied. "They got that information, likely by force, from one of the doctors that worked on me. Slipstream tried to kidnap me in order for the Forged to remove that energy. We can claim that with the restoration of my memories, I am like my old self. They can screen me themselves to see that the energy is indeed gone…"_

Starscream stiffened as faces turned back to look at him in surprise. They had not known at all that he had all of his memories back. His wings pressed back and he gazed at them nervously, thinking, _I was going to tell you! Do not believe that I wanted to hide it from you!_

They did not seem angry or suspicious of him, to his relief. Only surprised. They continued to listen to what Starscream said in that memory.

" _I can speak and act like my old self, and offer myself to them as an ally. I do not think that they could resist the idea of having an agent in the high ranks of the Air Command. We can also claim that I found you and swayed you to return to Cybertron to lead the army. You will have to act like I am a loyal Decepticon now, and hopefully you can confidently give examples to persuade them."_

" _It is clear that you only want to come as to not miss out," Megatron chuckled. "But it amazes me the lengths you will go to place yourself there, when you are not necessary."_

 _Starscream twitched in embarrassment, wishing that he wasn't so transparent to Megatron._

" _However, you are returning to Cybertron regardless," Megatron said. "We might as well justify your return so that they don't immediately try to assassinate you again."_

 _Shockwave nodded to this, finding the logic in it. Starscream would indeed have to join them._

Another snip of a discussion was shown from their long journey.

" _Do you fear your identity being discovered, Starscream?" Megatron asked without warning._

 _It was during one of their workouts alone. Starscream stumbled, straining to carry a weight for the umpteenth lap. Realizing he could not continue and reply, he set it down._

" _What caused this to come to mind?" Starscream huffed, taking the break while he could._

" _Mere curiosity. Do you believe that it is inevitable?"_

 _Starscream shrugged as though he was not bothered, but the question had frightened him. It could be seen in the widened black of his eyes and by the way he looked around quickly._

" _I have often been compared to Starscream, so much so that it has become a simple joke. I do not believe anyone's claim would be taken seriously."_

" _Do you imagine that a rumor could grow large enough to force you to prove your innocence through a public Trial?"_

 _Now Starscream looked extremely uncomfortable, because he had already thought of these things and hadn't wanted to think about them._

" _I believe that Optimus and the others would protect me…" Starscream replied weakly._

" _What would you do if the population knew who you were?"_

 _He hesitated. "I… I don't know. I certainly would not be welcome even after I passed the Trial. My career would be ruined, for I would not be trusted. I presume there are many who would try to terminate me as well after finding out…"_

" _The reason I asked was to inform you, that if this was ever the case, you will be welcomed on Chaar."_

 _Starscream flashed him a look of surprise, but at the time, he shook his head because he did not think it would happen._

In the present time, however, Starscream almost felt his spark go still. Megatron had just given him an invitation to that harmonious life without pain. And this memory had not been substantial to Starscream, but to Megatron, it had been so important that he had thought of it now. Why was it that way? Perhaps, it was because it was the first admittal that Megatron wanted Starscream around, that he no longer despised him in any sense.

It made Starscream wonder, if Megatron wanted him to live on Chaar whether his identity was revealed or not. Could it be that after their reconciliation, Starscream was something that would be missed?

He had not expected that the past he had tried to forget would make him feel such sorrow and comfort. After their long history of mutual hatred, Starscream had never once considered that this would happen, for it had been far more unlikely than when he had befriended Predaking. But now it seemed that it _had_ happened.

Megatron and Starscream had become friends, without even knowing it until now.

Jetfire stroked Starscream's shivering body, only partially understanding the depths of his emotions. The memories ended there, bringing Optimus and Megatron back to that gray, hazy world. Only now, something had changed. Confident after all that he had shown them, Megatron stood with his robust body of the present, clean and polished. There was none of the worry left that had been present in the beginning. Now, as Megatron smiled so softly, there was only that calm blue of happiness around the screen.

"Now you have seen everything, instead of just hearing my words," Megatron said. "There was nothing that I could hide here. There are things that I regret, and things that I will never. Judge me as you will, knowing that I am neither innocent nor guilty."

"Megatron," Optimus answered him. "I believe that all will be in agreement with you. You are not innocent, as you are not guilty. But these Trials are not directed by these sentences. Here, we seek only moments of clarity, where one realizes that another path exists. All who express a willingness to do good are permitted to go free. It matters not what you have done in your past. You have shown us today more than enough to prove the change of your spark. You have also proven that this change has occurred within Shockwave and Starscream through your memories. Therefore, my final statement is this: all three of you are forgiven in the optics of the High Council, and you will receive our most honest protection."

Starscream's hands crept back up his face as the Predacon cheered after hearing these words. Vertebreak transformed and grasped onto Shockwave, which seemed to be so unusual that the spikes around Shockwave's head rose in his surprise.

"Ratchet," Optimus announced. "We are finished here."

There was a resting smile on Megatron's face, before each of them ghosted away after Ratchet unplugged each in session. They stirred to life, then rose from the berths onto their feet. Megatron looked towards Optimus, as though he would shake his hand, but the three other Predacons swarmed him. Ripclaw, Grimwing, and Divebomb hugged him in tandem, patting him constantly even when it was not their turn.

Jetfire placed both his hands over Starscream's shoulders, leaving them there as they watched Megatron.

"I knew it would all work out," he murmured to Starscream. "All of you are going to finish what you started, and end this War for good now."

Starscream nodded slowly.

Jetfire turned him around to face him, ignoring any who might be watching to speak to him as though they were in private.

"Are you okay, Starscream?" His blue eyes shone with worry and affection. "It must have been hard for you, watching all that."

"Yes," he admitted. "But not in the way you would imagine… I needed to see all of it."

"Is that so?"

Starscream nodded again. "I cannot explain it to you, for I don't think it is easy to comprehend the complexity of it all."

"None of us understood completely," Jetfire murmured. "But we understood enough to know that you need our support. Let no more harm befall you, Starscream. We will protect you."

Bands of light travelled up his wings as Starscream lowered them. He walked into Jetfire and waited for the strong arms to fold around him, then after they had, he stayed there for a long while. By now, Starscream had completely forgotten how far underground and how isolated they were. All he was, was silent, hardly thinking as his spark danced with the same iridescent emotions felt by Megatron across the room.


	36. Chapter 35: Spy

Before anything else, Starscream attended Aceflight's funeral that had been planned to take place in the morning. All of the Seekers who had worked in the Predacons' city appeared, even the one who had been expelled. No one minded the radical Seeker, Skylight, when she joined the crowd of other Seekers who had come. And for once, she kept her thoughts to herself.

Aceflight had been melted and placed into a large, decorative pot. Once cooled, the container would never again be able to be opened. So it was this colourful and peaceful pot that the Seekers gazed at while individuals spoke words for the young victim. Directly in front of it, Sunchaser sat on the ground quietly while Cloudtips knelt beside him.

Naturally, Cloudtips was the most emotional of them all, and he had barely been able to choke out his words. Everyone looked at him and patiently listened, but Starscream saw him differently than they did. For him, he imagined Thundercracker kneeling there, mourning Skywarp.

Last time, Cloudtips had not asked much about his past life. After the funeral, however, Cloudtips had pleaded for Starscream to come to his apartment. There was not much time left for Starscream, but he obliged the mourning Seeker. They sat on a short couch with only two seats, which was another reminder of Aceflight's loss. Yet Cloudtips had something else weighing on his mind, noticeable from the confusion carved into his face.

He directed his blue eyes to Starscream. "Moon… I've been thinking about what you told us about the Allspark and past lives…"

Starscream blinked back, trying to figure out where he was going with this.

"I did always feel a special connection to him. But the draw I felt to him is something I feel for you too. And I just don't understand it, after what you said to us. If it has to do with past lives, then why does my spark long to be at your side? Your spark is aberrant, indestructible, correct? And you are new… so why do I feel like we had a different life together?"

 _Was this the right time?_

Starscream did not know, but with the way things were going, he felt that he would say everything now. In anticipation of it, his pulse quickened as clung with one hand to the metal arm of the couch.

Starscream blabbered, "You are too intelligent… of course, and with that feeling inside you, you would have figured it out…"

With a sudden warmth of fear, Starscream froze, unable to spill the truth. He thought of his next mission with Megatron and Shockwave, and how easily he could be destroyed if the truth of his identity got out.

Cloudtips asked in a low whisper, "Do you know who we were in the past?"

Starscream shut his eyes, nodding before he could restrain himself. Cloudtips stretched his thick arm out across the length of the couch behind him and leaned closer.

"So you are not a Newspark," Cloudtips murmured. "Am I right?"

Starscream peered to the side at him, then around the room. But there were no eavesdroppers, for they were completely alone. Still, Cloudtips' proximity kept him from being able to speak.

"The news wrote about you…" Cloudtips' eyebrows lowered as he pondered. "About how you were damaged at a young age and taken in by Optimus. None of that is true, is it? If you are not young, and if that story is false... then something else caused your injury. Optimus made up that story to protect you. Now, Autobots wouldn't need a cover-up story and an identity to protect themselves... They would just live on..."

Cloudtips' eyes flashed open wide.

"You were a Decepticon. You are Starscream."

For a moment, Cloudtips looked terrified. It lasted only for that second as he remembered all the tender times he had shared with Aceflight and Starscream. The red eyes looked just as scared as Cloudtips had felt, so it seemed certain that there was nothing to fear.

Recovered, the blue and white Seeker shrugged his shoulders. "Well, that would explain why everything we ever did was so easy for you… Why you seemed to have experience and wisdom beyond someone of your age."

He gave Starscream a small smile, but it appeared that Starscream was still locked with tension. His face was unmoving, frozen in one apprehensive expression.

"It doesn't matter to me," Cloudtips murmured. "Yes, I know what kind of things you have done. But you are good now. You taught us and protected us, and you were our charismatic lieutenant and commander. Clearly, Optimus trusts you as well, so how can anyone not? I will not speak of this to anyone… but I wish that you would tell our group someday."

Starscream's body fell limp in relief. "Thank you."

Cloudtips continued on another note, "Aceflight always felt like he should be a lieutenant. And if both of us were attached to you… Could that mean then, that we were your past lieutenants?"

"You were," he conceded.

"Which ones?"

"You were Thundercracker. He was Skywarp."

"I don't know much about them," Cloudtips confessed. "I suppose I should do research."

"I do not recommend it," Starscream sighed.

"I would rather know the truth than hide from its existence. I will be fine… I am just interested to know how I used to be and how I developed. I do look similar to him, do I not? Even the colour is nearly close, save for my wings. Though Skywarp was black and purple… Regardless, both Ace and I returned as fliers. Does that always happen?"

"No." Starscream's eyes went dull as he thought of Steve. "He could return in any form, but I believe he will come as whatever is most likely to encounter you. He may be a Seeker once again, but there is no guarantee."

"It was so important to him, being a flier and a fighter. I cannot imagine he would like being anything else."

Starscream looked down, seeming as though he did not know what to say next. The blue eyes scanning him felt like hot rays burning his metal.

"I promise," Cloudtips repeated. "I won't tell a spark about you."

Arms swept around and dragged him into a reassuring embrace. Starscream held him hesitantly, curling his black fingers around edges and waiting until most of his worry had ebbed. It would not truly fade, however, as long as Starscream knew that the world would not be this forgiving. And this coming mission would put his identity at risk, for if they failed to present Starscream as an ally, then there was a chance that the Forged's organization would expose him on the spot… if they didn't kill him first.

"I have to go," Starscream mumbled.

"Where to?"

"A mission…"

"It must be important," Cloudtips released him and rose. "And I trust that it's for the good of the people, for your spark is true now."

The large Seeker escorted him to the door, then patted him on the back.

"Good luck then," he told Starscream.

Cloudtips tapped him out, then carefully closed the door. Starscream paused with his back to it, wondering if all that had really just happened. After a strong blink, he realized that it had, then carried on.

* * *

His pulse was fast, but his face rested in a fake scowl. Starscream followed Megatron's back as the three infamous, former Decepticons descended down a tunnel in the Manganese Mountains. Undoubtedly, it was the beginning of the end- whether that be their end or that of the organization's terror, Starscream did not know.

Shockwave examined the tunnel, seeing how it had been readjusted from the shifting of plates, then he followed the recently carved-out path. The end of the tunnel possessed a single, heavy door. And with all their life signals undetectable, they were able to approach it unchallenged. There, Megatron then pushed ahead of Shockwave and opened fire upon the door.

The silence behind it erupted into a cacophony of enraged screeches.

"Predacon guards," Starscream uttered.

Megatron paused his assault. In his old, savage ring of authority, Megatron boomed, "Open this door for Lord Megatron, your leader!"

A startled silence followed. Claws scuffed by the door, there were multiple sounds of transformation, and viscous whispers that they could not make out. Finally, the door opened and four Predacon clones glowered at them. They looked completely identical to each other, gray and blue with teeth framing their faces and wings folded behind them.

Upon seeing Shockwave, they jolted and looked to each other. Yet the hostility did not leave even after seeing the founder of Predacon cloning technology. They still gazed at each other in a conniving way that prickled Starscream's nerves. At once, he felt ready for a fight, bending his fingers in preparation to fire his fresh missiles. But then, one of the clones bowed and the others followed suit.

"Welcome, our Lords," the first to bow said. "We have awaited your return."

Megatron strode in as though everything there was his by right. "Where are your leaders?"

A Predacon stared at Starscream, the claws of his hands flexing. With a hint of a growl in his voice, this clone answered, "We do not know, my Lord. You will have to wait for the agent to arrive. He knows more than we."

"Can you not summon him?"

"No," another answered. "We must wait, but not for long."

Shockwave and Megatron walked ahead, going into the back without anyone's permission. One Predacon took a step, then moved back, deciding not to challenge them. Starscream, keeping himself in character, sneered at him in passing. He knew the danger of provoking them, but if he did press them a bit, he might soon find out why Megatron and Shockwave's return irked the clones.

There was an aisle of tubes in the back, all containing fully grown Predacons unconscious within yellow liquid. Starscream counted twenty, all of them created from the same fossil though one that was different to the guards. At any time, the guards could zap them to life and release them. _But they are waiting for the order_ , Starscream thought. _The so-called 'army of thousands' must have soldiers like this on stand-by._

"Ah, more clones," Megatron observed, turning back to the hovering guards. "Tell me, how great is the army?"

"Great indeed," a Predacon muttered, and Starscream caught something dark and foreboding in his tone. "There will be two thousand."

Starscream flicked back his wrist nonchalantly. "Does this include the Predacon citizens on the surface?"

Two Predacons snarled at him. One replied, but switched into an impolite form of Cybertronian, "You, wouldn't you like to know! We know about you, we do. You are our enemy; you cannot be trusted!"

The fourth Predacon growled to Megatron, yet in the respectful form, "You should terminate him. That is no ally- that's an Autobot now."

" _Was_ ," Starscream hissed. "Those fools brainwashed me when I lacked my memories, turning me into a mindless instrument of their will! But I am in my right mind once more, thanks to Shockwave. The Autobots will pay for manipulating me as they did."

The Predacons were quiet, but there was still that strange tension in the room. The twenty Predacons hung in the tubes, eyes closed and ignorant to it all.

Megatron said, "I am curious to hear the answer to his inquiry."

Begrudgingly, they conceded.

"It does. The citizens will join us in the attack."

"Tell me about this attack," Megatron carried on. "When will it be?"

"Soon," one uttered with a glare at the wall. "We will move from this base when we are told. But we do not know much, since the information is withheld. The one-eyes know all, so speak with them."

"One comes soon," hissed a Predacon.

"I hear disdain in your tones," Starscream glowered. "You would do well to respect your masters."

The clones shot Starscream with piercing glares, growls in their throats. He had used just the right words to provoke one of them to spit, "They are no masters of us!"

Megatron cast a dangerous glare over them, keeping in character. The clones realized that they were exposing too much of what they wanted to keep secret. They faltered under his gaze, apologizing.

"We respect _your_ authority, of course," one said.

"Yes, your deeds have earned our true respect."

"Our highest masters." One bowed again to Shockwave and Megatron.

Starscream, Megatron, and Shockwave knew the Predacons were lying through their teeth. Yet they all pretended to be satisfied with the answers, waiting with a calm air for the Forged soldier to arrive. Confidence was key here while trapped with the four Predacons. The clones stood without speaking, watching their movements as minutes passed.

It would be an hour before the door opened. A one-eyed disciple of Shockwave rushed in, worried because of the blaster marks he had seen on the door. At the sight of Shockwave and Megatron, he dropped to one knee and bowed so low that his face nearly scraped the floor.

"My esteemed Lords! We are honoured by your return, and we have been awaiting it. Please accompany me immediately."

A scar skipped over the malicious, yellow eye that flicked toward Starscream. But the soldier did not challenge the Seeker as he stood between Shockwave and Megatron. He took Starscream with them back into the tunnel where he activated a portal and led them through it.

Starscream expected another hideout deep underground. Instead, they emerged into a room clean and tiled with white squares. The lightness in his wings told him that they were very close to the surface, and a faint honk outside revealed that they were in a city. This completely shocked him and it had been against all their expectations. While they had been scavenging for the secret hideouts, the main headquarters had been in the middle of public space.

The basement room they had stepped into was guarded by more Forged, who gasped at the sight of them and dropped down to the tiles. Starscream saw not a regular Decepticon soldier among these cruel, intelligent faces. This was truly the lair of the highest in command of the elusive organization.

The feeling of dread in his spark made him realize that in another room in this basement, there was the spacebridge that he had been thrown through. Starscream had already been in the headquarters, and now he had wandered back into its hazardous claws.

"Who among you is the one in charge?" Megatron demanded.

Still kneeling, one Forged answered, "No one of us leads over the other. The Forged collaborates and organizes the Decepticons, but the highest positions of leadership have been empty, awaiting you."

Another replied, "We have worked in your absence, knowing that the War was not over. We have sought to undo all that the Autobots have done, to take back the world for the Decepticons."

"We have collected reliable officers and raised an army."

"Please observe what we have done."

As one mind, the bots rose. Without giving any orders, half of them chose to lead Megatron and Shockwave while the others remained to guard the room. Each of them knew where they were needed. In the hall, other Forged bowed at the sight of Shockwave and Megatron, praising them without halting them. With suspicious glares following him, Starscream stayed close to Megatron and Shockwave as they headed towards an elevator down the hall.

They stepped into it and stood like statues as the elevator rose in tranquil silence. The eyes of the Forged stayed focused, staring straight and now ignoring Starscream's presence. He took the time to gaze at them closely, only to discover the faintest, thinnest spiderweb of cracks over them. He would not have noticed the lines, if he hadn't just thought of the upgrades they reportedly made to themselves.

 _They all have Predacon parts installed into them. They appear normal on the surface, like Valor did. But they can transform into beasts now._

The floors passed by one-by-one. Then, they exited the elevator to pass through a dark hall. After entering another elevator, they rose even higher all the way to the top floor.

Bright sunlight entered through the domed, glass ceiling of the wide room. Above them, clouds floated by lazily along with a flier and a cargo-carrier. They were unable to see the figures past the glare of the sun. Even if they could, all the shapes within were warped by the glass's design.

A semicircle of technology curved around the room. Forged soldiers were seated around it, and at the front, two bots controlled the main panel. One white and pink-red bot sat and leaned over a microphone while beside him, a narrow, black shadow worked standing at the board.

" _There will be an 80% chance of a storm in the Acid Wastes tomorrow evening_ ," the bright-coloured bot chipped into the microphone, " _so better save the sunset photos for another day… or hurry on and get them tonight…_ "

Starscream gaped and directed his gaze out the front window past them into the city. Several hundred metres northward lay the repaired and bustling shopping centre of Kaon, packed with chatting civilians and bouncing, reusable bags. Starscream could see the shadow of the radio tower above them stretched out in the early evening sun. Yes, he knew exactly where he was now. This was the station of one of Kaon's most popular radio channels, M2 Kaon, located in view of where the bloodiest Predacon attack had taken place.

The shadow figure at the panel turned, sun glimmering over his equally dark visor. There was no doubt about who it was, even though his body had been darkened and slightly modified. Long arms left the keyboard as Soundwave stared at the silent arrivals with Laserbeak clipped to his chest. He jolted then knelt, bowing to Megatron before the other Forged had even noticed that unexpected guests had joined them. Only seconds later did the Forged start glancing back and sliding from their chairs one-by-one.

The speaker at the front did not look back yet, continuing to report the weather without distraction.

Soundwave rose, but slowly turned his head back to the panel. He waited until the report was done, then flicked a few switches. The microphone was silenced and some trendy pop music began to play, its tune bouncing cheerfully as Decepticon symbols and murderers faced them.

The radio host spun around in his seat, then gasped and knelt on the floor. He looked like any young Autobot, with a handsome, white face that glowed too brightly among the solemn ones of the Forged. Even a merry, red Autobot symbol stuck out on his polished chest. This was a popular media face, who would have attracted adoring attention out on the street. What startled Starscream the most was that this very bot had stood among journalists who had interviewed him, and he himself had asked him questions.

Cerise, was the "star of M2 Kaon", yet Starscream could see into him and recognize the evil within him. While coming closer to the front, Starscream could also see the very thin cracks on his frame. Another monster in disguise. Though it seemed that Soundwave had not accepted the same upgrade, for as hard as Starscream looked at his body, it appeared normal.

"Ah, Soundwave," Megatron greeted him now that it was permissible to speak.

Soundwave lifted his head, saying nothing. He had returned to his vow of silence, once again convinced that actions were more valuable than words. Nevertheless, it was clear enough that he was both deeply pleased and curious. Soundwave crossed the room towards Megatron and turned his head slightly in an inquiry.

"I have returned as your leader," Megatron replied. "It is true that I departed Cybertron after renouncing the Decepticon cause. However, Shockwave found me in my travels. I was disorientated after my possession by Unicron, yet he helped me regain stability of my mind. I recalled the power and glory of the Decepticon faction, thus knew that it would require its rightful leader. And so we journeyed across the vastness of space homeward, stopping only to collect energon that had been stored on distant planets by Decepticons during the War."

Megatron looked down to Starscream.

"We came for the meager supply of energon left on Chaar, and there we encountered Starscream. He clung to life and defied us until Shockwave restored his memories by removing the energy that plagued him. He has since returned to his former state, pledging to serve me, his one true master."

Soundwave stared at Starscream. It was unnerving, but Starscream had never been able to comfortably stand under his stare anyway. There was nothing outwardly suspicious when he twitched in the face of that visor, but he prayed that Soundwave could not see through his acting.

"Starscream explained that he had earned the trust and esteem of those in high command on Cybertron. He offers to report their plans to us and sabotage them."

The listeners nodded, looking content with the words Megatron said.

Cerise, if that was who he really was, grinned. "We will be strong, with you both ruling us."

He and the others double-checked Starscream, before a Forged soldier concurred, "There may indeed be an advantage in utilizing Starscream."

They saw Starscream's sharp eyes that seemed to be seeking opportunities for himself, which was exactly like the Starscream they had known. Untrustworthy yes, but far from an Autobot. His claws were unsheathed and curled together behind his back, seeming to be willing to slash or gut any enemy mercilessly. Under Megatron's strict control, Starscream could be useful to them.

When Starscream spoke, he put the devious drawl into his voice that everyone knew. He made sure to add dramatic arm tosses and claw-curling as he re-explained his goal, the one he had already told the Predacon clones.

"Well then, Starscream," the radio host smirked. "Obey our orders, and you shall survive the apocalypse. Excuse me now."

He climbed back into his seat. Soundwave turned back to the panel just as the song was nearing its end. Once the microphone was back on, Cerise purred, " _Pardon, everyone. It appears that M2 Kaon is experiencing a technical difficulty. I am going to have to sign off before it can be mended! Have a lovely day, folks! Talk to you soon_!"

All went silent after those words. The radio host's fake smile vanished as he twisted back around.

"The plan," a Forged soldier uttered. They were all standing on their feet now, rigid and focused. "It has been complicated to achieve, but we are near its completion. The objective: terminate all Autobot resistance. We have taken advantage of Cybertron's now plentiful resources to complete a Predacon cloning program unlike anything that has ever been accomplished."

They dipped their heads to Shockwave.

"Not all of us perished, master," a Forged said. "Though our group was hunted and most fell at the hands of the Dinobots and other Autobot rebels. Thirty-one Forged remain, and we held the labs you have hidden from others. We were few and weak, thus we knew we needed greater strength. We began cloning Predacons with the technique you taught us, we began stockpiling our rarest resources, and we began absorbing Decepticons into our ranks. They joined willingly after realizing our competence."

"We saw potential in the emergence of natural Predacons," another carried on. "For there is great variance among them, different strengths. We have worked hard to sway the public against them, to increase the Predacons' hostility towards the bipedal race. We have full control over them now, which has raised the number of our battle-ready Predacons to nearly two thousand. The natural Predacons have also already taken over a large piece of land together, allowing us to position some of our clones among them. One thousand wait on land while the other thousand waits for the final strike."

"Once we are ready, the full Predacon army will be released. Half will cause chaos in Kaon in order to lure their attention. Then, the other half will attack the Space Station of the Hydrax Plateau with the help of our allies within. There are Autobots there that we have coerced, for it is simple to make Autobots do one's bidding if their friends' lives are at stake. The shields will be dropped for us. We will seize the planet's most powerful weapons and turn them onto the metropolises. The Predacons will have moved on by then in order to hunt and kill all Autobot survivors elsewhere."

Starscream stepped forward, putting on a haughty air. "How can you be so confident in such a plan? Do you not imagine that the might of the Predacons may turn against you?"

Megatron and Shockwave stared at them, as though Starscream had made a surprisingly logical point that they too wanted a reply to.

"We are prepared," a Forged said. "Once the mass extermination is complete, the Predacons will be terminated. We have seized a disease that causes unquenchable energon thirst, and we have refined it to be more fatal. We will supply each Predacon with armour, but within this armour will be drops of infected energon. Upon our command, the armour will inject the Predacons with the disease. They will attack and kill each other for us whilst we wait. After some time, the Predacons will weaken and starve to death, leaving the planet free of all threat."

Megatron frowned. "Have you accounted for the intelligence of these Predacons? There may be a lesson to be learned from our attempt to raise a smaller army on Earth."

The Forged listened and frowned as well.

Megatron continued, "Imagine, how easily this plan could go astray if the Predacons discovered your treachery. You will neither be able to control them or to kill them. This is no army of mere beasts you have created. This is precisely the reason why Shockwave and I wisely decided to end our project on Earth. They are self-aware, and it is dangerous to seed hatred within them of a race that is your very own."

"My liege," a Forged responded. "We realize that they are intelligent, but their boundless arrogance allows us to manipulate them. They may despise us, but they will tolerate us because they are much too excited for the ultimate strike. They will not expect to be terminated just following that strike. They will never be given the opportunity to plot against us."

"You may just be providing the Predacons with the weapons of mass destruction," Megatron uttered. "You rely upon them to take them for you. You should not give such responsibility to those not loyal to the Decepticon cause, especially when they are given such mortal power."

"What more," Starscream added, matching his tone to Megatron's, "some of these Predacons know that you have been killing their kind to refashion yourselves! These blunders will induce our destruction."

"The Predacons know of the killings now," one said. "But they believe only the traitors are killed. They do not mind it."

"Oh, but I believe that they do," Starscream hissed. "Perhaps they are only hiding their loathing of you, waiting to turn against you in the final attack! Moreover, some have _seen_ you conducting those experiments of the disease on vehicons! I am sure that they are suspicious of you by now."

Shockwave, the one the Forged respected the most, spoke now. "Megatron and Starscream have made logical points. We cannot proceed with this plan, understanding that the Predacons are too intelligent and dangerous to be employed as weapons of our will. The project must be terminated at once."

The Forged gasped and clenched their fists.

"Master, surely!"

"We have worked so hard."

"We will prevail!"

Shockwave rumbled, "I would have never condoned this plan. I am disappointed that critical thinking is lacking in my own disciples."

They were taken back by the insult, but they cowed before his staring, red eye. Soundwave looked ahead at Megatron, unmoving.

"My master," a Forged soldier said to him. "We cannot simply terminate the project. Half of our Predacons roam the surface, while many others wait for the attack, fully cultivated. Their minds have been too corrupted as well; it cannot be undone. We must proceed."

"Worry not," another proclaimed. "Everything has been successful thus far. We have the disease at least, and enough of it to infect the Predacons. If they turn against us, we can still shoot them with tipped darts to infect them. It takes but a prick into their veins."

The elevator ascended again behind them. Another eye-patched soldier strolled in, bowing and announcing, "The General has arrived. Shall we grant him access up?"

The Forged collectively started nodding.

"Yes, we shall introduce him to our Lords."

The freshly arrived Forged nodded as well. "I thought the same."

He returned into the elevator. Starscream watched the doors close, listening as the Forged explained this individual.

"General Skystalker is our military figurehead of the Predacons. He was one of the clones we created on Cybertron to hunt down the Autobot rebels. He is loyal to us and eager for the attack on the Autobots, and under him shall we have our victory."

But Starscream remembered the irritation of the Predacon clones, and how one of them had referred to the Forged as _no masters of us_. Megatron and Shockwave had heard it too, so the doubt in Megatron's eyes was the same as in Starscream's.

 _I know something is not right. The Predacons must just be pretending to be loyal… for now._

They went quiet as the elevator approached. The same Forged soldier stepped out, followed by a medium, blue Predacon. He walked on his toes, slinking forward with his wings shrunken but still spread out behind him like a soaring hawk's. The Predacon looked Megatron in the eye, for in this form, he was the same height as he. But his yellow eyes widened upon recognizing him and Shockwave beside him.

General Skystalker bowed, his wings flattening as well.

"At last," he exhaled. Then, he raised his head and smiled disarmingly at Shockwave. "My creator. Of course I remember and cherish you…"

He elegantly hopped back onto his clawed toes.

"I thank you for your brilliant mind that has created my army."

The Predacon then turned to Starscream, amusement glittering in his cruel eyes.

"Well," Skystalker chuckled. "Somehow, you live. I am quite surprised."

No acting could prevent Starscream from glaring at Skystalker with blazing hatred. This was the one who had snapped Aceflight's neck, and it was much easier to hate him for it although the Forged had also taken part in his death.

"Oh my," he smiled at him crookedly. "I do not believe he has forgiven us for trying to terminate him. Unless it is the death of the little Seeker that bothers him?"

Skystalker looked over the Forged. "Masters, why do you accept his presence? Starscream will surely seek revenge upon us for what we have done to him. It is best to finish him off."

Starscream uttered, "I understand why you all attempted to assassinate me. I was a meddling Autobot then, but with my memories restored, I am that no longer. Though I may despise you, I am obligated to collaborate with you due to my master's orders."

"Ah, so you will be a loyal Decepticon once again," Skystalker sneered. "Oh but, not truly loyal. You were ever the selfish creature, weren't you? Perhaps you are only following Megatron's leadership because you fear him. At least we can still use you that way. And it _is_ easier than trying to dispose of you again. Resilient thing, is he not? We watched the light leave his spark chamber, yet here he is."

His intelligent eyes gleamed again, relishing the rage lighting up Starscream's eyes.

"What have you come for, Skystalker?" Cerise asked in a bored tone. "I know you have other things to do besides taunting Starscream."

"The Prime and Elita One have challenged us again," he said. "We expanded our borders, and they have threatened to post Seeker guards who will attack us if we go further. When shall we begin killing these flying pests?"

"You may begin now," a Forged replied. "But tell your most loyal Predacon that it will only be one each week, and be sure that the Seekers appear to be the aggressors. Tell the civilian Predacons that it was they who unjustly attacked you. It will be easier to convince them that their deaths are justified. Do not consume the bodies either. Leave them at the borders for now."

It took incredible willpower to not snarl and attack the Predacon and the Forged where they stood. Starscream glared venom at the floor, trying to distract himself with the lines in it.

 _I won't allow it to happen,_ he tried to calm himself. _I will have the Seekers warned._

Only the thought kept himself from visibly shaking in hatred.

"Thank you." Skystalker gave another bow. "Some of my brethren have been impatient, you see. They will be pleased."

The Predacon general turned then, re-entering the elevator.

"You see," a Forged continued after he had left. "He is loyal to us, and he obeys our orders for he sees us as the only ones who can fulfill his desires."

"Have you other concerns?" one asked. "I am sure that we can please you with our answers."

Starscream tried to undo the knots in his nerves.

"Do you have shapeshifters among you?" he asked.

"No, none of those. However, we have come close to modifying ourselves into such bots. Unfortunately, we cannot adjust our colours with such control, nor can we change our voice."

The speaking Forged nodded at Shockwave, a hint of excitement in his voice to now reveal this project.

"We have made superb discoveries, nonetheless, since we have never ceased continuing your experiments about the extent of our transformation ability. We have indeed added Predacon parts to ourselves, though folded up and concealed within us. But this was not all that we wished to change about ourselves. We learned how to break ourselves into smaller pieces that can detach and reattach to themselves. There are limits and weaknesses, but it allows us to assume shapes and to camouflage into scenery."

This Forged soldier transformed for demonstration. First, his limbs, middle, and chest opened up and stretched to double their length and width. Some small pieces flicked up from his frame, forming the spikes over his spine and horns. A neck and jawed face emerged around his head as he dropped onto all fours. A coiled, whip-like tail escaped his behind, snapping then flashing the curved blade at its tip. Finally, a small Predacon loomed in the centre of the room, with even the wheels in his shoulders and feet concealed now by thin metal.

The fanged mouth cracked open. The pseudo- Predacon said, "We can speak in this form, though we cannot breathe fire as of yet."

The beast then seemed to explode, a network of rods hooked onto pieces bursting out as the Forged took on a random shape. Starscream saw his organs completely exposed for a few seconds, stretched tubes and veins and even the floating eyes. Then, the Forged snapped together into the smooth shape of a huge cube. After having had demonstrated his flexibility, the soldier pulled himself back into his original bot-form.

Starscream's hand covered his mouth while he bent back in revulsion.

"We hoped that our advancements would impress you." He lowered his head to Shockwave.

"It does," Shockwave replied, his monotone voice now completely honest. "Although I see no practical use for it. You are not as powerful as Predacons in that form, for your armour becomes much too thin. Then, during the transformation into an object, you expose your vitals."

Soundwave nodded once, revealing that he agreed and why he had refused to undergo the same procedure.

"The capability of hiding among the Predacons is useful," one argued. "We can join the final attack and spy on them, to ascertain that they follow our plans. One cannot tell how thin our armour is in that form. So you see, master, we are prepared for even treachery."

"Furthermore," another chimed in, "we will not allow others to see us transforming into obscure objects."

"I see," Shockwave responded.

This was much too difficult. No matter how these Forged were critiqued, they justified themselves in some way. Worse, they claimed that the attack could not be called off now that they had their army. Starscream knew that Megatron and Shockwave were losing hope in changing their minds. But was there anything they could do about Soundwave?

 _He trusts Megatron's plans more than theirs. But he allowed that slaughter in the shopping centre and he is willing to kill a million bots. Soundwave does not value innocent lives. How could we hope to change him? I see now that he wouldn't just because Megatron has. Yes, I believe he would just fight on without Megatron…_

 _But even if we arrest everyone here, it will not be enough. Those Predacons need to be convinced to stop the fight. We have to undo their brainwashing somehow… and that too seems impossible._

All Starscream wanted to do was isolate himself with Megatron and Shockwave so that they could discuss their next step. But Starscream realized that getting them alone was going to be difficult. There was no reason for Megatron and Shockwave to leave now that they were here. So it was up to Starscream to report back to the Autobots, and what a risk that could be.

If he warned the Autobots, they would prepare to thwart their plans. And if plans were thwarted, the Forged would instantly know who had betrayed them.

Megatron sensed that Starscream was itching to escape, even if he was standing still. He looked back to him and causally ordered, "Starscream, return to Vos. I want you to learn how the Seekers will defend the border of the Predacon territory. If any organized attack shall take place, inform us immediately."

"Yes, master."

Megatron cast the Forged a dark look that falsely indicated some eagerness. "We will remain behind to hear more about the future plans of this planet."

"Let us connect you to us," a soldier offered Starscream. "We can pick up communication links here. You will not have to come back here to give us information. Also, we forbid you from ever flying directly here. If we require you, Soundwave will give you a groundbridge."

Starscream consented, but felt instantly vulnerable once taken away from the other two. He was walked back to the elevator, glancing back once before being taken to the basement. There was no choice but to straighten himself up and act arrogant, like he was above the cold, dark soldiers in the halls. Each one tolerated him, but no gaze was welcoming in any way.

Taking a seat, Starscream sat very still as they opened the side of his head to install their communication device. Starscream said nothing, but simmered in suspicion. The chip might allow them to hear Starscream at all times, whether a channel was open or not. Moreover, it might be explosive. That had been something the Forged threatened their underlings with before.

 _I am certain that they will be listening. So I must be careful and use sign language or writing to pass messages._

They then told Starscream, "We will show you the way out."

He didn't know where he was being sent until he walked through the portal. Starscream stepped into the silence and growing darkness of the Manganese Mountains' forest. He was back, just a bit aways from the tunnel where they had found one of Shockwave's laboratories. Turning, he gazed around at the lengthening shadows as though they would creep up on him. With this chip, the organization felt much too close.

Starscream jumped and took off in the direction of Vos, trying to figure out what he could do along the way. There was no telling when he would see Shockwave and Megatron again, and he could not yet face the High Council as he was. He had to pass on information to the Autobots without appearing to be their spy.

He decided to head to Jetfire's office as planned. He was meant to be waiting there for Starscream's return, so when he entered, Starscream quickly signed to him, _They might be listening._

Jetfire nodded, then reached into his drawer and continued casually, "What is it, Starscream?"

"I wanted to ask about my current position in the Air Command."

Jetfire passed him a stylus and a Datapad. Starscream opened an drawing app and began to silently write.

"I see, since you were the Air Commander of the Predacon district…" Jetfire kept talking. "If you were hoping to maintain some power, worry not. I can place you in charge of the border guard. You have experience with Predacons, and perhaps you will be able to reach out to some of the citizens."

Jetfire's eyes soaked up each word he wrote.

 _Headquarters: M2 Kaon radio centre_

 _Leaders are 31 Forged_

Starscream paused so that he could reply, "You wish for me to speak to them? It may be difficult to isolate individuals, with those vicious clones on the outskirts."

Starscream pressed the stylus down again as Jetfire went on, "You can get deeper into the territory by using the tunnels Arcee scouted. If you can, convince them to leave the territory or spread the message. We have to take away as many of their forces as possible. And if we are forced to strike them with our weapons, Optimus would prefer we kill only the most malicious Predacons. Saving Predacons as well would make the extermination seem like less of a race issue."

 _2000 Predacons including citizens. 1000 in waiting_

 _Objective: Pred. attack Kaon. Seize Hydrax's most powerful weapons. Destroy cities. Kill all Autobots_

"Wait." Starscream registered what Jefire was saying. "You want me to go in there?"

"I know it is dangerous, but as long as you don't leave the tunnels and follow Arcee, you can escape even if detected."

Starscream gazed at him and realized he was serious, not just rambling to fill in the silence as Starscream wrote.

Jetfire added, "Some of your Seekers have been dying to get into the territory. They have connections with the Predacons as well and may be able to help you. And it is better to take them there with Arcee, instead of having them flying in there and getting killed."

Jetfire read his next quick scribble.

 _Attack date very soon_

 _Forged say it is too late to stop_

 _They will infect and kill the army with the disease after_

"When shall I go there then?" Starscream asked. "And how often?"

"Pick a few Seekers now, but not too many. I will contact Arcee, then you will meet her near the border… let us say at the zeroth hour. I'll have the coordinates by the time you get back here."

 _What should we do? Attack will happen. Evacuate civilians first?_

 _Battle inevitable_

Jetfire had never stopped reading, so he then answered in his continuation, "The more Predacons you collect, the more Predacons will be able to support Predaking once he is cured. We will attempt to install him back into the Valley, to at least sway the Predacons if he cannot lead them."

Jetfire collected everything from Starscream, then wrote to him, _Evacuation likely_.

"Are you close to a cure?" Starscream asked, as though he did not know.

 _But let's try this first_ , Jetfire was writing as he pretended to sigh. Then he replied, "We believe so."

Starscream nodded at the notepad.

"Well then," Jetfire concluded.

Starscream scooted back from his seat. "Yes, I will be going."

He walked backwards, signing to him, _They will kill our soldiers. One every week. Warn them._

Jetfire nodded to show that he had understood.

 _Anything else?_ he signed back.

Starscream shook his head, pressing the button before passing the threshold. He had successfully given Jetfire all the necessary details he hadn't known before, and he in turn would pass them off to the rest of the High Council. Starscream did not know what they could do to stop the attack, but at least the information had gotten through.

Admittedly, he doubted Jetfire's plan or whoever's plan it had been to sway citizens to their side. Predaking would probably get no support from that feral territory ruled by Skystalker and the ancient Predacon. Hopefully, Optimus and the others would think of something better.

 _They are exceptional at crippling armies larger than themselves and foiling plans._ Starscream thought back to all the frustrating times it had happened to the Decepticons on Earth. _We will find a way, I am sure._


	37. Chapter 36: The Changes in Sparks

After his discussion with Jetfire, Starscream isolated himself in his room.

"I'm sure you heard that," he spoke aloud in the silence.

There was no answer to confirm if the Forged heard him. Perhaps they were testing him, so Starscream reported in to them normally as he was meant to.

Starscream was immediately told, "Let no harm come to Councilor Arcee, but allow injury or death to the Seekers. It is necessary to frighten the Autobots away from entering the Predacon territory again."

Starscream felt cold. There was no possible way he could purposefully put his Seekers into danger. Somehow, he had to make Jetfire's mission successful while making it look like a failure.

He hoped he would figure it out on the way. As Jetfire had recommended, Starscream selected the Seekers who had been itching to get into the territory for a long time. Sunchaser and Charred Mist would come with them, so that they would not feel the need to sneak off there on their own. These two had also had good relations with the Predacons citizens in the past, especially Sunchaser, so Starscream hoped they could help with negotiations.

Although, Comet had heard that his best friend was going into the tunnels. Nervous for him, Comet followed them to the meeting place near the new border. He placed Charred Mist's hand onto Sunchaser's wrist, telling the yellow Seeker, "Don't you dare loose him in the dark!"

Comet looked down to Arcee. "There won't be Predacons down there, will there?"

"There may be some," she answered. "But we will listen for them and avoid them."

He whined and hugged Charred Mist. "Be careful, you!"

Comet had already asked Starscream if he could join them, but Starscream had refused him. He did not want to bring too many Seekers into the territory.

The black and red Seeker flew off, before Arcee led the three Seekers into what looked like a simple hole. She slipped easily through it, then Starscream sat on the ground and scooted down and through the tunnel entrance. He squeezed his wings back to fit through, as did the other two long-winged Seekers. Upon landing, their feet disturbed a layer of ash in puffs.

There were visors over their eyes to hide the glow of them and to help them see in the darkness. Even with them, shapes were difficult to make out unless they were near the blue glow of energon crystals or pools. As the tunnel sloped downwards, the fliers were unnerved, but Arcee hurried on without wasting time. She picked tunnels without hesitation, even when they suddenly forked. The three Seekers rushed after her, sticking close.

She stopped and listened often to the sounds around them. Arcee checked the air flowing through the network, aiding her in keeping check of their position. It all impressed Starscream, and he found himself enjoying following her.

Arcee stopped them in a tunnel running near the surface. The Seekers had sensed they were near the surface, but the scraping of claws above them shocked them with fear. They were dead silent as a pack of heavy Predacons prowled over them. When Arcee crept forward, they trod slowly and carefully after her.

They returned to a deeper level, where black tunnels often appeared at their sides. From one of them came the thud and chink of walking, clawed feet. The Seekers froze, but Arcee quickly pushed them ahead, then squeezed back. For some reason, she wanted to stare down that tunnel and listen more carefully. It did not take long before a humming sigh drifted up to them, the unmistakable sound of an Insecticon.

They relaxed, and Arcee directed them towards the approaching noise. When they saw the hulking silhouette and an orange band of light, Arcee called out, "You there. Are you lost?"

The orange eye bent down to her. The Insecticon was darker than most of his kind, mostly black with unshining, gray claws.

"No Insecticon is ever lost in the underground," he rumbled.

"So you realize where you are?"

"Yes," he growled. "I am here intentionally."

"For what reason?"

"Predacons have killed hivemembers," he hissed. "Shadejaw will get revenge. This is me. I will kill the Predacons fool enough to come into the tunnels."

Arcee was obviously not keen on bringing him with them or arguing with a stubborn Insecticon. She led the Seekers back, and the Insecticon ignored them now to dig his claws into the wall. He was crunching on fresh, raw energon by the time the group had ventured deeper into the Predacon-controlled land.

At last, she led them up a wide tunnel, but she was the first to peek her head out into the open plain. She ducked back down soon after.

"There is one Predacon close in the sky," she whispered to them. "Black with ten pink wings."

Sunchaser gasped, "Oh, that is Flutter! There is no other Predacon like that. He is my friend!"

The Seekers climbed up the ridges of the walls, then they peeked out from the hole. Immediately, they narrowed their eyes at the unexpected, bright light. They had climbed up in the middle of a silver field of metal, the hole guarded by natural, metal heather. The moonlight glared off the field, creating a white haze from here to the distance.

The Predacon that Arcee had spoke of hung nearby in the sky like a black hook, turning its head to scan for prey among the heather. The three pairs of wings on its back and the two pairs on its tail glowed red-pink in the beam of the moons, flapping constantly and audibly from where the group watched.

Sunchaser shrone like a yellow sun as he waved his arms to the the hunting Predacon. Charred Mist ducked down just before it snapped its head towards the twinkle. Promptly and without making a sound, the Predacon turned and swooped down toward them. The three left at the hole remained for a few more moments, watching the black Predacon closing in. Its rare, ruby eyes were focused upon Sunchaser as its feet uncurled, bearing gleaming talons.

"Down!" Arcee boomed.

She grabbed Sunchaser and Starscream each by a wing, letting go of the wall. As she fell, they fell with her. They collapsed in a heap on the floor, hastily getting to their feet as they heard a thump beside the hole's entrance above. Arcee pushed them into the shadows to where Charred Mist was already concealed. Then, she glared up as the Predacon's wolf-like face loomed over the hole and blocked out the moonlight.

The head yanked back and they heard the sound of transformation. A bot reappeared, grabbing the edge and peering back down the hole.

"Sunchaser?"

The yellow Seeker padded out into sight to stand next to Arcee.

The Predacon narrowed his eyes and pointed an accusing claw at him. "What are you doing here?"

He grabbed the rim and squeezed himself in. Everyone moved back out of his way into the shadows. The black Predacon dropped, the folded wings on his back jostling as he landed in a crouch. Then, the Predacon straightened up and glowered at them.

It was easy to pick out the yellow Seeker, and the Predacon hadn't focused on anyone else in particular yet. Sunchaser pushed past everyone and ran up to him.

"I wanted to see you, Flutter!"

"Don't call me that. That's not my name."

Sunchaser flinched, wounded. "What? You made up that nickname. What happened to you? Why are you being so nasty?"

The black Predacon crossed his thick arms. "Nasty? No one hurt you, did they? See, you should have just left well enough alone. Your kind is so oppressive, sending Seekers to control us instead of just letting us rule ourselves. You had to go."

"We're just a type of police force," Sunchaser exhaled. "We take care of everyone, any race. Why are you like this? We did so much for you! Remember how Moonwing got all those things built for you? Wasn't it lovely? Everything was starting to work out. You were happy. Don't you remember? Don't you care?"

Flutter sighed, "Look, Sunchaser. I care about you, but our races can't be together. Your kind hates us, and you just get hurt around us. That Seeker Redwing and Commander Moonwing were killed working here. You are too weak."

Starscream stepped up to Sunchaser's side. When he could be fully made out, Flutter yelped and stepped back.

"Moonwing! You're alive?" he squeaked.

The Predacon's words had just been so stubborn and stereotypical that Starscream was thoroughly irritated. He muttered now, "Do you recall those times you trained with Sunchaser? I have seen him escape your claws and defeat you in practice. Do not lie to yourself and say that you were taking it easy on him. We have a strength different to yours, so cut this charade of superiority immediately."

The Predacon was completely flabbergasted at his return and his authoritative voice. "M-Moonwing, oh- I am sorry, Sir."

"You have been manipulated by Decepticons and their Predacon puppets," Starscream went on. "A general named Skystalker and the White Dragon. They are brainwashing you to become a soldier to attack the population."

"What?" Flutter murmured. "I wouldn't ever do something like that. Look, all I want is some peace, alright? We all do. We're only asking for more land because there isn't enough food to go around, alright? All these new Predacons are just making it harder. We're starving here."

Sunchaser said, "Primus, why are you hunting the poor animals! Why don't you just process the energon all around you? Why won't you stubborn Predacons just take what we offer?"

"What is so wrong with what we do, eh?" Flutter retorted. "Primus made us like this, so who are you to judge! I won't let any of you shame me for what I am!"

He was bristling, since they had touched a nerve. At that time, Sunchaser opened his cockpit and took out the container of energon he had been carrying. Each of the Seekers had been carrying one, and now Sunchaser opened his and held the glowing cube up to him.

"Don't you want this?" Sunchaser pleaded. "Come on, it is so easy to get and doesn't hurt anyone!"

Flutter turned away his head. "Stop it."

"You can't really prefer hunting," Sunchaser mewled. "Hurting the creatures and hearing them cry out… We're all Cybertronians, Flutter. You're not really so different than me! You don't need anything but energon. So why would you have to drink other creatures' blood?"

"We aren't the same," Flutter uttered. "I was forged with these organs that filter out the remains of prey. If we weren't supposed to hunt, then why do I have them? And don't you dare say that we were a mistake caused by Unicron's corruption."

Sunchaser murmured, "But what if you were a mistake? Does it matter, Flutter?"

The innocent way he said it kept the Predacon from losing his temper.

"You can do anything you want to," Sunchaser said. "Just because you are made with claws, doesn't mean you have to use them to hurt others. You could use them to protect your friends, couldn't you? And your wings and strength can be used to carry heavy things. You would be a great Rescue Bot as well, since you can tolerate fire so well!"

The Predacon could not stop a smile from trembling on his face. "Oh come on, who'd ever let any Predacon become a Rescue Bot?"

"You never know! It could happen in the future if we try. But doing this won't do any good."

"Mmm…"

Sunchaser went on, "Why, you've already been enjoying things your ancestors never did! Your mind is unique and your own, just like it is for us. I remembered you liked story writing and watching dramas. Just hunting and prowling all day every day can't nearly be as fun, right?"

Flutter sighed, "Aye, and playing innebandy or sittin' in the spa…"

"Oh see?" Sunchaser smiled back. "And you can't be the only one who misses it!"

"I guess you're right," he breathed. "We're just all trying to find our way, but we're never really happy even if we tell ourselves that."

"Could you tell us about how it is here?" Sunchaser asked.

"Alright, Sunny, I'll spill. But gimme that thing already. I'm awfully famished." Flutter chuckled and took the energon cube off him. He plopped onto the floor, where Sunchaser happily joined him. Arcee came up to Starscream's side, but Charred Mist stayed comfortably in the shadows. Flutter probably hadn't even realized there was another Seeker there.

The Predacon took a big bite and chewed heartily. "Mhm, okhay. So we got our new leader, Queen Azure. That's the white, ancient one. Apparently she's always had a name, just told us now though. Azure! Her green eyes were always such a rare beauty, but her name comes from her blue fire! It's so bright that it is almost white. I've seen it when she was showing off."

He munched more on the cube.

"Then there's this new face, her general. We call him General Skystalker. He's a rare type of his own. His breath is frigid; his prey goes stiff inside and freezes. The two of them are creepy, frightful. They are obsessed with hunting and they're real dangerous. They don't bother us, since they're real advocates for Predacon rights. So we follow them, but there's a rumor that Skystalker is particular about Insecticons. And someone _has_ been eating them, since some remains have been found. If the General or Queen spotted you… they would try to eat you, they would! They hate bipeds especially more than anything else."

Charred Mist's voice uttered from the darkness, "Skystalker. Is he blue?"

Flutter jumped. "Who's that?"

Charred Mist lifted his visor, letting his pumpkin-orange eyes glow in the darkness.

"Oh," the Predacon laughed. "It's the little one, the black cat. Yeah, you're right. But how'd you know that, Charred Mist?"

The voice that was normally soft hissed harshly, "Because Moonwing says that he killed Aceflight!"

Flutter gasped. "Did he?"

"He did," Starscream affirmed. "And your Queen Azure was the one who infected Predaking with the disease. She tried to kill me, and she removed Predaking to take his place."

"Oh no!" he yelped. "Seriously? I- I have to let everyone know!"

"Wait," Arcee commanded as he made as though to stand. "You have to be careful about spreading this information. The Decepticons will kill any Predacon who resists them. You have to act like you are on their side, while secretly changing the minds of your brethren."

Flutter settled. "So that's true? I heard a bit about Predacons getting killed for their parts, but we started thinking that was false news to mess with us. Alright. Secretly? Can do. You can count on me. I'll do my best to make everyone understand what you told me. Wow, but I can't believe… those two are just pure evil, aren't they?"

Charred Mist let out a slow, dark huff in reply and put down his visor again.

Flutter looked at his empty hand, then guiltily at Sunchaser.

"Er, got any more energon?"

"Oh we do," Sunchaser hesitated, "but we were hoping to find two others and give them some."

"Find more? That doesn't sound like a good idea," Flutter warned. "Some of your friends have turned fairly mean. They wouldn't hurt you, but they'd certainly send you off without giving you a chance to speak! You were lucky finding me. How about this: I'll do the talking for you, and bring them back here to meet with you again? And you bring more energon for us?"

"Come here at this time next week," Arcee told him.

"We were hoping that some Predacons might choose to leave too," Sunchaser said. "Do you think you could convince some?"

"Leave? Can we?"

"Of course!" Sunchaser chipped. "Didn't you know? Optimus has been visiting the borders and trying to pass the message. There's a refuge for all the new Predacons being forged, and it's for any Predacon who wants to leave this place too."

"No, I didn't hear," Flutter mumbled. "The edges are the hunting grounds of the clones."

"These clones are brainwashed and dangerous," Starscream uttered. "They are intentionally holding information from you. I assume, if you tried to leave, they would stop you as well. So tell others that if they wish to leave, they should come with us through the tunnels."

Starscream took out his energon cube and tossed it into Flutter's hands. He started to eat it so eagerly that Sunchaser tittered, "How could you have even refused it before?"

"Oh, hush, I know. It was pretty stubborn of me, wasn't it? It's good scoff. Clean and pure, much better without metal and wires and such."

"You like it more?" Sunchaser purred.

Flutter waved him off, embarrassed. "Yeah, yeah." Then he polished off the morcel in his other hand.

Starscream looked back, waiting for Charred Mist to offer him the last cube. It was strange that he hadn't already. He called out his name, but then there was no answer.

Everyone froze, feeling the cold creep into their veins. Starscream rushed over to where Charred Mist had been standing, swiping his fingers through the shadows. There was only air.

"He's gone!" Starscream exclaimed.

Sunchaser cried, "Gone?"

Starscream turned back his head. "He's left!"

Arcee hurried to Starscream's side and peered down the tunnel. "He walked back that way."

"Won't he get lost?" Sunchaser whispered.

"He is out for revenge," Starscream realized. "We just mentioned Skystalker. He would be heading for the surface, then to the Valley!"

"We just passed by another tunnel to the surface," Arcee said. "He must have felt its breeze and noticed it. If he was going somewhere, it would be there."

"I'll look outside for him!" Flutter announced. "If you can't find him, I promise I will keep an optic open for him!"

He jumped and scrambled up the hole's wall back to the surface. Arcee took off running down the tunnel, knowing where to go even in the patches of pitch blackness. Sunchaser gathered the energon containers before sprinting after Starscream. She was too quick for them, and quickly Starscream had to rely upon the sound of her footsteps in the maze.

"Arcee!" he whisper-called.

He was afraid she would leave them to get lost. But she hurried back, grabbing onto Starscream's arm. Sunchaser crashed into him, and Starscream decided to hold onto Sunchaser as well.

"I heard him," she said, tugging the chain of Seekers. "He hasn't left the tunnels yet!"

They heard a delicate patter as Charred Mist raced away from them.

"Stop!" Starscream's command echoed down the tunnel after him. "I order you!"

The steps paused, then continued. Charred Mist cried back, "No! Those two Predacons must die! This all might stop if they do. I will make them pay for what they did!"

Claws scratched overhead. The chase was halted at the sound of thumping footsteps over the tunnel's roof. A low growl rumbled over them, shaking their frames, and another Predacon growled back in acknowledgement. Then, three claws stabbed through the roof of the tunnel between Charred Mist and the group. Another paw reached in, pulling the ceiling open. Charred Mist raced in the opposite direction, continuing his escape towards the entrance leading outside.

Sunchaser squeaked in horror as arms and a muzzle forced their way in. Arcee yanked Starscream to safety, and Sunchaser was pulled with them. There was no choice but to abandon Charred Mist as a Predacon slunk into the tunnel. They hid out of sight around the corner, pausing to listen to the snuffs and growls of the slender hunter.

It stopped, listening. Sunchaser quivered against Starscream as everyone heard the faint claps of Charred Mist's feet down the tunnel.

The Predacon snarled something to its comrades on the surface, as though speaking words of another language. Whatever was conveyed, the Predacons on the surface understood. The slim Predacon scampered down the tunnel, its hide scraping each side. Above, the Predacon hunting party charged ahead, looking to block off any escape hole.

They were gone. Sunchaser grabbed his face and wailed into his hands. Arcee shushed him, hearing the thunder of more Predacons striding closer above them. The yellow Seeker quaked in terror they passed by overhead, racing towards the sound of a distant hunting cry.

"Come on." Arcee jogged deeper into the network.

Sunchaser wailed, "Aren't we going to help him?"

"Yes, but be quiet."

She dashed off and took them up another tunnel that rose to the surface. It opened out gently to the silver plain, not far from the tunnel where they had spoken to Flutter in. A roof curved over the hole's entrance, making it appear almost like a cave set into a slab.

Arcee placed Starscream and Sunchaser by the cave's mouth. She hissed, "Imitate animal cries!"

She sprinted away, leaving them. They immediately understood that they were meant to lure away the Predacons. Sunchaser and Starscream peered out and saw five Predacons tearing across the expanse, spread out like a fan. Flutter was in the sky, flapping desperately and trying to look ahead of them in case Charred Mist unexpectedly broke out into the open.

Sunchaser cupped his hands and howled like a rusthound. He then snarled, as though about to enter a fight with another animal. They slid back out of sight, but Starscream joined in the act, mimicking the high-pitched cries of Bulkhead's pet turbofox.

" _Yib yib yib yib yib yib_!"

The Predacons turned their heads and skidded to a stop. Starscream heard them one of them shriek a rallying cry to its hunting party before heading this way. They didn't get far before they all heard the low, mooing moan of a docile animal.

 _Arcee!_

Sunchaser growled again, and Starscream yowled in reply like a fox. The Predacons broke off into two groups, closing in to where both they and Arcee were hiding. The Seekers fled down the hole, caring not now if they got lost. They crashed into walls and turned the corners randomly, squeezing through narrow tunnels so they could not be followed. Then, they finally stopped, hearing silence.

They panted until they cooled down, before Sunchaser whispered, "Do you think he made it?"

"Yes," Starscream exhaled. "But I don't know if he stayed in the tunnels or went out."

"Probably out," Sunchaser breathed.

They stayed put and waited.

"What if they got Arcee?" Sunchaser whispered.

"No," Starscream murmured. "She can take care of herself."

Half an hour later, Arcee finally came across them. Sunchaser cried out with joy, then they both rose to their feet.

"It doesn't seem like they got anything," she reported. "I checked and listened, then searched for you."

"Thank you, Arcee," Starscream whispered in the darkness. "Your quick thinking saved his life."

"He is still in danger, if he is out there," she warned. "That was reckless of him. I will look for him again later in the tunnels, but for now… I am going to take you back."

Starscream felt soothed when she grabbed him and led him the way back to safety. He was still quite worried for the smallest Seeker, but he was also guiltily relieved. Charred Mist's disappearance would look like Starscream's doing, so to those watching him, it would appear that the mission was a failure.

They escaped the deadzone and exited back out the tunnel they had come from. Starscream knew that the Forged might be listening now.

"I am sorry," Arcee sighed at the entrance.

"It was his fault," Starscream replied. "And I am as frustrated and surprised as you are. He has never disobeyed me before. His desire for revenge has made him unstable."

He gazed to the sky in the direction of Vos.

"I will have to report Charred Mist's loss."

They said farewell to Arcee before heading back to their capital. There, Starscream would make his first report to Jetfire, and then the second to the Forged.

Sunchaser must have blathered to the others, because soon Starscream was caught by Comet in a desperate craze of grief.

"You were supposed to bring him back!" he shrieked.

Comet smacked his own face with his hands and shivered into them.

Starscream didn't want to tell him about the close call. Instead, he said, "He ran off. I am sorry… He went after-"

"Aceflight's killer," Comet uttered. "The blue Predacon. Oh, the fool! He'll never even get close. That place is crawling with one thousand Predacons an-and… He's such an idiot! How could he do this to me?"

He choked and pushed past Starscream. He was worried for a moment that Comet would tear into the Predacon territory after him, but when Comet threw himself out his own apartment window, he flew off in the opposite direction. Starscream tracked his signal, finding that Comet was aimlessly heading to the Neutral Territories. There were no new cities built there yet, so when the signal halted, Starscream imagined that the Seeker was perched on a pillar, wailing.

* * *

Days went by, and there was no news about Charred Mist. Arcee searched the tunnels, then returned to Starscream. He had been surprised to get a visit from her in Vos, but she cared enough to tell him, "I just cannot locate him."

"Thank you for searching," he murmured.

They did not look at each other. Both looked toward the floor, sharing the belief that Charred Mist had been killed.

Then, before a week had fully passed, someone clawed and pounded at Starscream's door in the early night. Comet screeched, "Moonwing! Moonwing!"

Starscream immediately assumed the worst. He burst from his berth into the hall. "What is it?"

"It's- it's, o-oooh they f-found a body at the b-b-border-"

Comet choked up, unable to speak. He took off running down the hall, and Starscream followed. There was a ledge on every floor, since Seekers preferred to jump off buildings instead of using available elevators. They leapt out into the open air, not having to fly far before they saw an unexpected crowd. It was a mass of Seekers following a stretcher as its load was rushed toward the Air Command's main tower. Silverbolt flew down and stopped the stretcher-bearers by the door, then drew back at the sight of the corpse.

Starscream could already see that is was not Charred Mist. The colours were much too bright to be him: purple and orange. He landed beside Silverbolt, hearing him as he called for Jetfire. One of the Seekers who had been following closest to the stretcher were shrieking, "It was an attack! An ambush!"

Starscream craned his neck and cut through the crowd sideways to get closer. Who he saw made him gasp inwards slowly. Twilight lay dead on the slab, eyes lightless and four claw marks scored over her front. Energon was still leaking from the young body of Starscream's Seeker. Comet quailed and nuzzled into Starscream, but Starscream was so shocked that he only absentmindedly put his arm around him.

Not another. He had trained with this clever, talented Seeker, and she had been friend to all who had worked in Predacon Valley. A mind like hers had had the potential to be a lieutenant or commander, and she had fought bravely against the two Predacons with the rest of Starscream's group on their first unaided mission. How long ago it seemed now, when they had shared the rapture of victory. He could still imagine them all together earlier than that, far away in a library as Twilight teased Aceflight as they studied.

Jetfire flew down and stared at the corpse with wide eyes. Starscream instantly turned on him.

"I warned you that the Predacons would kill us!" He could not prevent his voice rising into a grieving snarl. "The border patrols were supposed to be informed!"

He had thought he could protect the Seekers from the Forged's plan to kill one Seeker each week. Starscream had been so sure that the Seekers would stay away from traps, but now here lay his friend dead before him, no older than four Cybertronian years.

Jetfire breathed, "I did warn them."

An indignant Seeker cried, "Those Predacons were outside of the border! They looked like they wanted to talk, Sir, so we went to them. Twilight went ahead since she has the most experience with the beasts. They waited until we got close, then they sprang on us!"

"What?" Jetfire raised his head, his eyes icy blue.

Starscream cried at him, "How are you surprised? It was obvious that they would do this!"

Jetfire muttered, a bit harshly from stress and from Starscream yelling at him. "Was it really? That the Predacons would feign peace, then lunge? No. It was not obvious. What everyone expected was a direct attack or an ambush among the buildings. Nothing like this…"

"Cowardly beasts!" someone cried.

Comet rubbed at his leaking eyes. At that time, Cloudtips and Soft Breeze arrived on scene.

"No!" Soft Breeze boomed. "Twilight!"

He demanded an explanation, and soon got one from the enraged Seekers. He and Cloudtips then noticed Comet whimpering into Starscream. They hurried over to them.

"This is awful," Soft Breeze whispered. "First Aceflight, then Charred Mist, then Twilight…"

Yes. Starscream had now lost half of the group he had trained with in the advanced program. The knowledge of that made his spark ache. His thumb traced the joint of Comet's needle-wings as both stared at Twilight's body.

"Kill the Predacons!" someone roared.

"Avenge our comrade!"

"Kill the beasts! Kill the beasts!"

The Seekers liked that line. They began to chant it together as Silverbolt and Jetfire hollered for calm. Starscream, too weak to blame Jetfire anymore, walked Comet away from the scene. Soft Breeze and Cloudtips followed them into the more quieter apartment complex. Up there, they encountered Sunchaser and Sandstorm, the former space pirate who had also worked in the Valley with them. Both had just seen Twilight and had come looking for them.

"Those Predacons are out o' control," Sandstorm grumbled in his rough voice. Though his accent had faded a bit more since the last time Starscream had spoken with him. "Alas, poor Twilight. Another unfortunate young'un… Fortune is that we saved her body from the revolting tastes of them beasts…"

Comet flinched, thinking of Charred Mist.

Sandstorm sighed conclusively, "I'm starting to think that the only good Predacon's a dead 'un..."

* * *

Yet Starscream was going to meet with some Predacons that night: Flutter and all the other good Predacons he could find. Before his rude awakening, Starscream had been resting with an alarm set. Now struck by Twilight's death, there would be no more sleeping, although Starscream did not want to be in the comfort of friends either. He set out to be alone.

A big energon cube sat at his side. Starscream was out of sight of the Predacon territory, but near the border as he waited behind a building. He had found a thin, rusted pole and was playing with it in his hands, flicking off flakes of rust with his thumb. The ground and air chilled him, but Starscream let the numbness sink in although another hour remained before he would meet Arcee here.

A shadow passed by in front of him, but when Starscream glanced up, he saw nothing. He passed it off as the change in lighting as a cloud floated over the biggest moon, since he had heard nothing either. But then, something in his peripheral vision moved, thin and tall and striding toward him.

Following a stripe of darkness, Soundwave stalked toward him. The purple glow he had once had was gone now, concealed so that he emitted no light. He was like the darkness he strode through, though even darker much more dangerous. Fear electrified Starscream, causing him to hop backwards and onto his feet.

"What are you doing here?"

Soundwave strode closer; Starscream moved back. He came closer still. Finally, Soundwave confronted him, showing an audio clip on his visor then playing it.

It was Starscream's own voice.

" _I warned you that the Predacons would kill us! The border patrols were supposed to be informed!_ "

Starscream had no excuse to explain these words. Soundwave stared, promptly understanding that there was no doubt about Starscream's betrayal. No lie could even come to Starscream's mind, and the silence led Soundwave to quicken his pace. His expressionless face rapidly approached, shooting Starscream with such fear that he whirled on his feet and ran.

Soundwave's feet scraped on the ground as he switched to pursuit. Hearing him, Starscream transformed and attempted to get into the sky. A portal opened in front of him; he swerved wildly to avoid it, but another opened soon after at his side. He swore and dropped in proto-form, transforming again once another portal opened below his feet. Starscream dived out of view behind the buildings, but he would not remain hidden for long. Soundwave had taken to the air, rising higher to keep him in his sights.

Starscream gasped and threw himself into a bombshelled building, transforming then rolling and skidding into a wall. He heard Soundwave's soft engine descending and heading to the building. Starscream raced for a rickety starwell before Soundwave burst through the hole after him. A tentacle zapping with electricity chased him, but Starscream had gotten too far ahead, and it ran out of length. Soundwave kept running, luring Starscream to flee to the lowest floor.

Rusted stairs suddenly broke underfoot, and Starscream plunged through one flight of stairs, then the next and the one after. He crashed onto the ground floor with a bang, turning and groaning. Starscream picked himself up, stumbled when his knee crumpled, then steadied himself. He had not been injured seriously in the fall. Glancing back up all the holes he had made, Starscream saw Soundwave's visor, staring down at him.

"Soundwave!" he called. "Wait! I admit, I betrayed you, but-"

Something was missing from Soundwave's chest. Starscream only noticed when he heard the incoming hum of Laserbeak's flight. The minicon swooped through a gaping window and beelined for him with tasers crackling. His fall had gotten Starscream here before Laserbeak, and then only his reflexes saved him from being shocked. The Seeker threw himself to the side as though dodging a blast, clapping Laserbeak on the wing in passing. Laserbeak wobbled and scraped a wall, but recovered almost instantly. He saw Starscream springing out the doorless threshold, and he spun around to speed after him.

Soundwave leapt from the top of the building. Starscream saw the shadow fling out into the night, and his spark leapt at the sight of him. Never had he been pursued by Soundwave; he was clenched with absolute terror as the faceless visor descended from above, transforming at the last second.

He did not think anyone could escape the capable Decepticon if Soundwave put his mind to it. Starscream could hardly think past his white-hot terror. He had trained with Predacons, sparred with Megatron, but all instinct corrupted Starscream. His past life made him fear Soundwave like he was a god-like being that could not be stopped by force. He screamed shrilly and tumbled into another building for cover.

Laserbeak crashed in again. Starscream skittered back and toppled a storage shelf over, forcing Laserbeak to tilt off course lest he be crushed. Then Starscream panted and rounded a corner, nearly crashing into Soundwave already standing there. The visor turned a miniscule degree, regarding him and all his terror, and showing his reflection so that Starscream could see it as well.

His tentacles snaked out again, but Starscream was already on the run, tearing up more stairs. Soundwave sprinted after him, tentacles extended for the thin, snapping legs of Starscream. The Seeker felt the warmth almost tickling his metal, which drove him up faster. He kicked back rubble at Soundwave and the tentacles at every opportunity, trying to gain the maximum amount of distance that he could.

Starscream was, fortunately, much swifter than Soundwave after all the running he had been doing. He made it to the top of this building, only to discover there were no holes here to jump through. His own exit would have to be made; Starscream fired a missile at the wall and leapt through the fire onto the roof of a lower building. He had just barely escaped Soundwave and Laserbeak again, but he knew his luck would soon run out.

He called up desperately to the fire, "There is something you must know about Megatron! I implore you, hear me!"

Soundwave appeared at the hole, rimmed by smouldering metal. Starscream had focused on him for a moment too late, and was not expecting the incoming hum that charged him from behind. Laserbeak cracked into Starscream's legs, sweeping him clean off the building. He followed Starscream as he dropped, hooking onto him and electrifying him.

Air whooshed by as he spasmed, then Starscream struck the ground and lay still. Laserbeak swooped back into the air as Soundwave dropped. He was coming. That very thought shocked Starscream into trying to get up. Pain burned his nerves, but in a way, it felt like the old pain he had known.

Starscream managed to drag himself up after the shock, a feat of which Soundwave had never seen done by any other bot. But Starscream was not going anywhere nearly as fast as he was before. He limped into another building, vainly pushed rubble at the doorway, then tried to collect himself. All this terror thus far had made him lose his mind.

Laserbeak circled the building as Soundwave easily knocked down the rubble. He strode in, appearing suddenly like a ghost before relentlessly closing in. Starscream yelped and dove into a hole in the floor, falling into a cold basement smeared with grime. In the next second, Soundwave's visor leaned over that hole and stared at Starscream, now trapped and helpless from his blunder.

Starscream too seemed to know there was nowhere left to run. Soundwave expected him to fire a missile now in his desperation, but instead Starscream tried to reach out to him again.

"Megatron..." Starscream groaned, "...is an Autobot too.'

Soundwave did not move.

"He's changed," he whispered. "Forever. He came back to try to persuade you all to stop this War…"

Soundwave snatched the hole's edge and swung himself in. He landed with grace, silently stealing away the distance between them again. Starscream skidded back, wobbling into the greasy wall. Soundwave's arms were flexed, ready to swat away Starscream's claws that may lash out, and his tentacles were creeping out, preparing to grab and shock him.

"Optimus gave Megatron a private Trial," Starscream gasped. "He passed!"

Soundwave halted. He was but a few metres away from Starscream when he had said this. When nothing happened in the next few seconds, Starscream knew this had surprised him. Starscream went on in a nervous tremble.

"I… know you had a Trial," he whispered. "You were sent to prison. And I know why you are still fighting…"

Starscream thought about Slipstream and all that the vehicons had told him.

"You are utterly committed to the Decepticon cause and loyal to Megatron. But I ask you, Soundwave, what does the Decepticon cause strive for now? You wanted equality of opportunity- that was what you and Megatron agreed to fight for in the beginning. And now, you don't think this world will ever accept you, because you regret nothing. So you still don't believe that there is a future for all. But there is."

He repeated himself.

"Yes, Megatron has passed the Trial. He did it without having to regret his past. All that was necessary was a desire to cease doing harm. If he could do pass, you could as well."

Soundwave still did not move, but Starscream faintly heard Laserbeak returning. Had he called off the chase then? Starscream's shoulders sagged as he went on.

"Choose peace," Starscream pleaded. "Help us. Are you truly willing to kill one million innocent lives, most of which have never done harm to you? There is another life for you that doesn't include this slaughter. I-"

A throaty growl sounded outside, followed by a puff of fire and a powerful wing flap. Following it, Laserbeak's status flared over Soundwave's visor as the minicon sent a distress signal to him. Just a second later, however, both Starscream and Soundwave heard a crunch of metal in the air. Something massive thumped down onto the city street above them, and without seeing anything, they knew exactly what had just happened.

Starscream's eyes narrowed in horror. Instantly, Soundwave was spinning on his heels, Laserbeak's panicked call still emanating from Soundwave and in real time. Soundwave scrambled back and leapt out the hole, throwing himself over the edge and bolting to the door. He had abandoned the safety of their cover, but Starscream did as well to follow him. Yet before they had reached the outside, there was another crunch that changed Laserbeak's chirring to silence.

A Predacon stood in the streets, Laserbeak charred and impaled in its claws as it tore hungrily at his wing. Two other Predacons perched on the roofs and watched the other Predacon sucking up the energon in envy. Not any of them was prepared for the black mass that struck them. From nowhere, tentacles shot at the Predacons' eyes, striking true and electrifying them. Smoke fumed and light wriggled over the face of the Predacon, who screeched and danced back, tearing off one of Laserbeak's largest wings as it did.

Soundwave did not yield, gripping the Predacon and shocking it until the other Predacons had hurled themselves from the rooftops. Then, he released the Predacon before claws slammed down where he had just stood. The injured one dragged itself off on its stomach, hissing and lashing its tail as it tried to recover.

Starscream dashed up to Laserbeak, assuming as well that he was dead. However, Laserbeak twitched his other wing in a pathetic attempt to flap over the ground. He yet lived. The minicon was scooped into Starscream's arms, his energon oozing over his arms. At once, Starscream knew what had to be done. Clutching Laserbeak, Starscream looked to Soundwave as the Predacons snapped at him from both sides. Soundwave twirled away from each fanged mouth, but the third Predacon had risen to tighten the circle around him.

Starscream turned his last missile upon one of them, striking its side as it reared up on its hind legs. The consequent explosion felled it to its chest, and the Predacon swallowed its fire to screech in irritated pain. Soundwave disengaged and zipped around their attacks, realizing quickly that the window to escape had been provided. Starscream hollered across the way to catch his attention.

"He is still alive!"

Soundwave bolted back to him, visor directed at the bleeding minicon. Yet Starscream was retreating back into the building, diving back down the hole. Soundwave dropped in beside him just as a fanged face jammed itself through the doorway.

Already, Soundwave was trying to zap Laserbeak's injuries gently with his tentacles, trying to weld the cuts shut with the heat. But the wounds were too wide, and they were running out of time.

"We can save him," Starscream gasped. "Do you know where Knockout's studio is?"

The wall split above them with an earsplitting screech. The beast with blood already on its teeth struggled and tugged half its body through into the building.

Without replying, Soundwave opened a portal beside them. This time, Starscream leapt through it willingly with Soundwave following close behind. They teleported directly into Knockout's workplace and residence, but predicting the best spot to do so had not been easy. Starscream turned at the last second, saving Laserbeak as he came crashing into a wall.

Soundwave too soared through and struck the wall, then he tripped into one of Knockout's decorative pots. It toppled and thunked on the ground, not breaking though it loudly rolled away across the tiles. Rapid footsteps rushed toward the room, before the startled face of Knockout rounded the corner. His hand had been made into a saw, for the clamour had made him suspect that he was being robbed. Then, he recognized Starscream and the dark figure beside him.

The saw vanished as Knockout yelped, "What in the name of-"

Starscream thrust Laserbeak at him. "Knockout!"

Knockout stammered, but received the severely wounded minicon from him. He tripped as he turned and scuttled to his medical room. Soundwave trotted after him, looming over his shoulder as Knockout set Laserbeak onto the berth and began examining his internal damage. Soundwave watched everything in silence, pressing closer to see how Knockout pressed precise tubes together and welded them. The doctor scrunched up under Soundwave's gaze, but he carried on and pressed a syringe of fresh energon into Laserbeak.

Laid down on the berth, Laserbeak suddenly looked much worse to them than they had previously thought. He looked nothing more than a burnt piece of scrap under Knockout's hands. If he wasn't still leaking, then he would have been unrecognizable as a living thing.

"Soundwave," Starscream murmured. "You are distracting him."

Soundwave backed out of the room to stand in the hall. Starscream felt overwhelmed by all the recent deaths, and now, he felt himself begging internally for Laserbeak's full recovery. He had not wanted to hurt him nor Soundwave, even when they had been trying to capture him. Moreover, he felt some guilt for what had happened, first for being so foolish as to reveal he had been a spy, and then for making all the noise that had attracted a Predacon hunting party. Looking at Soundwave's back, Starscream wondered if he would blame him very soon.

Soundwave stared at the door, completely still. Starscream did not feel he should make any noise, so he very slowly uncurled his fingers, then stopped moving as well.

Starscream wondered, _Is he his last living deployer minicon?_

Half an hour later, the door opened. Knockout stared back at Soundwave with a nervous expression, clearly about to announce something that would not be easy to say to him.

"I don't know if he is going to make it," he murmured. "His vitals are weak."

Soundwave came back to life, hustling past him to see Laserbeak.

Starscream trod closer more cautiously, flinching to see the state of Laserbeak. He was still scorched and torn, halved without his wing. All his cuts had been closed, but Laserbeak lay on his front with wires connected to his back.

The one who had mercilessly hunted Starscream approached the dying minicon. Struck by Knockout's grim words, Soundwave knelt beside the berth and leaned to the side so that Laserbeak's face was near his. Now Laserbeak could see that he was there, but Soundwave raised his delicate fingers next to stroke under a small, upper wing where Laserbeak had not been burned. Soundwave glanced to the harsh tear where Laserbeak's wing had come off, then back to his face. Silent, they seemed to convey a message through their expressionless gazes.

Knockout asked no questions, but he looked solemnly at the wavelengths on the monitor. Soundwave lay a finger over Laserbeak's triangular head and kept it there. Knockout and Starscream watched, stone-faced as they felt strong grief over every move Soundwave made. They had seen nothing from him like this before in all of the time they had been with him. And Soundwave cared not for what they thought, as he focused only on Laserbeak.

They waited for his death in silence. For a long time, the vitals remained weak but steady. Each passing minute added to Starscream's stress, and he yelped when someone spoke to him through his commlink.

Arcee asked, "Where are you?"

Soundwave did not even turn his head. Starscream, not wanting to disturb him, hopped out into the hall.

"I… will not be coming."

"What happened?"

"Something came up," Starscream murmured, not sure if the Forged could hear him or if it had only been Soundwave who could have. He would have to either write it out later or tell her in a deadzone.

Arcee didn't press him. "Then I will go on without you."

"Alright…"

"I'm taking _four_ of them with me," she said, purposefully vague.

What she meant clicked. The four Predacons raised by Megatron and Shockwave: Ripclaw, Grimwing, Divebomb, and Vertebreak. That could only mean they were entering as spies and to undo the brainwashing of the other Predacons if they could. Starscream's already quick pulse spiked at the thought of them going into the hostile territory. These Predacons had never killed small animals before, but there they would be expected to eat them.

They would be suspicious if they didn't hunt animals, and if they did not seem invested in the cause, then the Forged would kill them and use their body parts for other Decepticons.

Did Megatron and Shockwave know about this? Starscream knew they would be devastated if any one of them died. Yet Starscream had not heard about those two at all in the past week. Had they gotten out yet to speak to the High Council? Did they find out more intel, such as the location of the other Decepticons?

"I don't think that is a good idea," he sighed.

Arcee could not argue without revealing more. She did not want to get Starscream in trouble, and she did not know that he already had been. Though she stayed silent, Starscream understood that the Predacons had argued for this.

"Very well," he said.

He felt crushed then, foreseeing more death on the horizon.

When she cut off the call, he quietly hurried back to the medical bay. There had been no change yet. Starscream crept up to Knockout's side and stared at Soundwave's back. They continued to wait for death, but it refused to come. As Soundwave stared at Laserbeak, the minicon clung to the last thread of life.

The night was passing, agonizing slow for them all. In an hour, the pink of dawn would wash over Iacon. It was in that hour, however, that Knockout lifted a finger behind Soundwave's back, pointing to the monitor. Starscream followed his finger to see a feeble spike of recovery in the readings. They looked back to Soundwave as he stroked Laserbeak's tiny head. Soundwave hadn't needed to see the screen to see strength returning to Laserbeak. The minicon, who had been dead-still for hours, twitched his remaining large wing and raised the smaller ones.

Knockout and Starscream looked at each other. But Starscream didn't want to get his hopes too high yet. They strayed closer to Soundwave and Laserbeak, and as minutes passed, the vital signs grew stronger.

Soon, the sun would rise. Knockout kept staring at the monitor, waiting until he was absolutely sure. Then, he made his announcement in a sigh.

"He will live."

After hours of looking forward, Soundwave spun around. Starscream could not help but cry out in joy, then laugh off the night of stress. It was euphoria now after having had been expecting the worse for so long. Starscream pulled Knockout by the shoulder plates, then embraced him. Both of them felt incredibly light to Starscream, and dizzy, he thought they might fall over.

"You are a _brilliant_ doctor," he breathed.

"It is a miracle you got here on time," Knockout sighed. "Any later, and he wouldn't have had any fighting chance at all."

They looked over when they realized Soundwave was staring at them. Feeling awkward suddenly, Starscream released Knockout.

"Soundwave," Starscream murmured. "What will you do now?"

He turned his head back to Laserbeak. He was evidently his greatest concern right now.

Knockout said, "I can give him a new wing. But he will have to stay here for a while and rest."

Soundwave nodded with just a dip of his head. Since he gave no indication of moving anytime soon, Knockout hesitantly asked, "Er… Were you thinking of staying here?"

Soundwave nodded again. Knockout's eyes widened, then he stammered, "Oh, er… sure..."

There wouldn't have been any choice otherwise. One could not merely remove Soundwave from a place he chose to be in, but Knockout wasn't too bothered. Soundwave was not here to do harm, and he would stay out of the way.

"But what about the Forged?" Starscream asked.

Soundwave had no answer for now.

Carefully, Starscream inquired, "Have you changed your mind?"

Soundwave stared at him, without nodding or shaking his head. From that, Starscream sensed that he was still caught in doubt. But he _was_ doubting the cause now. That alone was significant.

Just to be certain, Starscream quickly asked, "Will anyone else come for me?"

Soundwave shook his head.

"So you were the only one listening to me… Will you still try to capture me?"

He shook his head again. Knockout gazed at Starscream in curiosity, finally piecing together everything that had happened up to this point.

A pause came where Soundwave looked back and stroked Laserbeak with two fingers. However, his body was still facing them, expecting that Starscream would ask more.

It was bold, but Starscream decided to press, "This wouldn't have happened if… Well, you understand. It _shouldn't_ have happened, but these Predacons are going to hurt others like they did Laserbeak. We must spare those lives, yet we need your help to do so."

Soundwave had tilted his head to look at Starscream's face. Feeling that he had his full attention, Starscream kept going.

"We need to arrest the Forged, but we need to make sure that we capture _all_ thirty-one of them. If a single one is loose, then they escape with dangerous knowledge and they can still wreck havoc on this planet."

When Laserbeak shifted, Soundwave spun around and leaned back over him. Shuffling his feet, Starscream sighed. He wanted to remind him of what he had said before, although Soundwave's back was now to him.

"There is no need to continue this War. If you just gave up and started anew like Megatron did…"

Starscream wanted to cease trying as Soundwave kept his back to him. Maybe he had already said all that he could, and it was just up to Soundwave now to choose his path. But then, Starscream had thought of one more thing.

"There is something that Megatron offered me. He told me that if my identity was ever revealed, and if I felt there was no place left for me on Cybertron, then I could go live with him and Shockwave. They have established a home on Chaar, working on projects in peace there with some amicable Predacon clones… I am mentioning this because I know you don't think you can live freely on Cybertron unless it is under Decepticon control. I assured you that you _can_ live in a society run by Autobots. But even if you do not believe that, there is still another option for you..."

Soundwave's back straightened as something within his dialogue had appealed to him. From that, Starscream regained his hope.

"Just help us end this peacefully. I swear that no matter what happens, you will not be imprisoned ever again. There is most certainly a future for you."

When Soundwave nodded this time, it felt different than the previous nods. There was something powerful within it, and it felt like a promise.

"So you will help us?"

There was a little hesitation, but then Soundwave bowed his head. Starscream did not know how he would do it, but Soundwave was certainly someone that could be relied upon. Relief washed other him as he thought of how many lives might be saved. They could arrest the Forged, bring back Predaking, and possibly stop the war with the Predacons from happening. And lacking the Forged's leadership, the Decepticon army too would weaken and be easier to capture.

For now though, it was understandable that Soundwave's thoughts were not dedicated to creating a plan. He was still glued to the berth with Laserbeak, mellowed from happiness since his dear companion had survived the attack. Knockout and Starscream could not help but contently stand and watch for a while longer.


	38. Chapter 37: The Return of the King

The next week, Soundwave had been coming and going, according to Knockout, and checking on Laserbeak every day. Starscream had also seen the minicon, whose burns were healing as he lay with a new wing. Nothing had changed since Soundwave had yet to act against the Forged, but Starscream had told the High Council that he had confidence in him.

Because only Soundwave had been monitoring him, Starscream felt free now to speak and go where he pleased. He met with the team of ruling Autobots, ecstatic when Megatron and Shockwave were said to be coming. And they did appear in order to share their knowledge. In these two weeks, they had visited the hidden bases packed with Decepticons and weapons.

Very carefully, they had been explaining the flaws in the plan of the Predacon attack. After pushing the Decepticons against it, they had been trying to convince them that killing innocent bots would be wrong. It was hard work, trying not lose all Decepticon support at once, but they were changing a few minds at least. Megatron and Shockwave told the Autobots exactly where these Decepticons were hiding and the location of more bases filled with Predacon clones.

Starscream had nothing more to tell them. Optimus, however, surprised them with something recent he had discovered deep in the historical records.

"I have found the reason as to why one ancient Predacon survived the Great Cataclysm," he rumbled, and everyone who hadn't yet heard listened attentively. "There is sparse information, but across various articles, I have learned about an Iaconian kingdom long forgotten. Since their own records and population have vanished, they were regarded as mythical by those who had even heard of them.

"According to the recounts, this kingdom was inventive, though belligerent. It is said that they had tamed a Predacon to use in their wars against other kingdoms: a silver one with intense, blue fire. Given the name and ability of the ancient Predacon, Azure, it can be assumed that the kingdom had created the protective case to save themselves from the radiation of the Great Cataclysm."

"A protective case?" Starscream probed. "Down that sinkhole?"

Before anyone answered him, Starscream inquired, "What about those who built it?"

The detective and friend of Optimus, Prowl, replied. "After Optimus informed us, we investigated the metal down the hole the Predacon had emerged from. Analysis confirms, that some of the metal has CNA in it. It is undeniable now, that the Predacon ate the entire kingdom's population, one-by-one, and melted their bodies into the walls. With their energon, she survived the massive time passage."

Starscream was not the only one caught gaping.

Bulkhead had groaned, also with a nervous chuckle, "So uh, _that's_ the kind of bot we're dealing with."

The information did not have much purpose now, except to reveal so much.

Arcee had talked about setting their new Predacon spies and disturbers into the territory. Shockwave and Megatron had not seemed surprised that their Predacons had volunteered to do this, but that did not mean they weren't worried.

There was talk of what to do next. Knowing the location of their enemies, was it time to arrest them? But how could they manage it and get every one of the Forged? And after their strike, the other criminals might relocate themselves immediately. Though what seemed obvious was that the Forged had to go first. They were too intelligent, and without leadership, the Decepticons were mostly just the same gangs of thieves and murderers as they were before.

Yet the Forged were always leaving the radio station, checking on the hideouts, so snagging all of them at once was impossible without a scheme. Soundwave would have to trick them, but even Megatron was not sure what he was thinking. He had not seen much of Soundwave lately, and when he had, they had never been alone to discuss a plan.

The decision to storm the radio station was put on hold. After the meeting, the Autobots seized one of the largest laboratory of incubating Predacon clones. Jetfire staged a search that "accidentally" came across the incubating tubes of sixty Predacons. Starscream had not been there, but he heard that the Predacons came out ignorant and innocent, thus were put with the other Newspark Predacons and treated kindly.

With the handful of Predacons escaped from the territory, they had now now eighty-three Predacons on their side, out of the two thousand. There had not been many new Predacons emerging from the Well recently, and Jazz had described the phenomenon as "It's like Primus knows, or something".

Megatron and Shockwave had snuck back to the Forged, but still Starscream had not been invited back. He had to bide his time in Vos or on patrols, waiting for opportunities.

He did hear from their Predacon friends, however, the next time Arcee took Starscream into the tunnels.

This time, he had chosen Sunchaser and his last three close Seeker friends to join them. Soft Breeze, Cloudtips, and Comet were all concerned about Charred Mist, who had not been seen for more than two weeks now. All these hands had also been needed to carry the large energon cubes and high grade drinks for their Predacon spies.

They met up with Ripclaw, Grimwing, Vertebreak, Divebomb, and Flutter in a tunnel to discuss happenings within the Predacon territory. With them were yet four more Predacons who wanted to escape. Everything was the same. Tensions were high, clones were savage, and the Queen and General were feared. Additionally, no one had heard of a Seeker being killed and eaten within the territory.

"Has anyone begun to suspect you?" Arcee asked.

The Predacons were in bot-form, sitting and consuming the energon in ravenous bites and gulps.

"Not really," Divebomb reported. "There are so many Predacons here that it is hard for them to pay close attention to us. All we do is stalk or fly around, and we look busy enough."

"Some bully tried to intimidate me." Ripclaw swelled her chest. "I got in a fight, proved myself to some onlookers."

Megatron and Shockwave's Predacons had not eaten a single creature. The only time they got processed energon was now, same with Flutter, so they were eating and drinking to the point of drunkenness. The new Predacons closed their eyes in relief, relishing the pureness of processed energon. Once they had thought they preferred hunting, but they cherished what they were given now.

"Remember all those fountains Predaking had in the Valley?" one of them sighed.

"Oh yes," another Predacon purred. "Endless energon, processed and clean, gushing out…"

"That was a good leader for us Predacons," a third said. "He wasn't about hurting anyone or violently defending borders. He got along well with Optimus Prime too."

"He made sure we were all healthy," the first speaker nodded. "It's ridiculous. We're all starving out here and we don't even have anything like hospitals. Predacons are fighting each other, but you get hurt, no one does anything! Under Predaking, we'd just go to a hospital or have doctors come right to us."

The fourth Predacon was over-energized, leaning against the wall and blinking sleepily. He nodded to everything.

Arcee took these four Predacons to the refuge in the Sonic Canyons. Starscream and his Seekers reported in at Vos, then took the next day off to rest.

The next night, Starscream was flying with other Vos Seekers on a patrol. They were a large, tight group of nine. Jetfire had wanted no more Seeker deaths since Twilight's, so all of them were on high alert. Someone shot a missile towards a Predacon at the edge, frightening the lone beast away. It snarled and scampered off, flightless and vexed at the Seekers soaring above.

When Starscream returned, he was immediately summoned by Jetfire. He rushed into his office, and was quickly told, "Very soon, they are going to test a cure on Predaking and the infected Predacons. With the information Shockwave gave us, Ratchet and Perceptor think they have completed the cure. You'll want to be there."

Starscream's wings shot up. "What?"

"You will get access inside. Just be there in about a joor to meet them."

He wasn't going to wait for anything. Starscream took off, heading to the research facility set up in Crystal City. It was close enough that he made it there within the hour, burning off some of his energy along the way. He was granted access in and led deep inside by a staff member. Then, Starscream heard the savage screeches before even coming close. They came to a hall of prisons full of Predacons, all strapped down to the floor so that they could not budge. Their wild, diseased gazes followed them as they jerked and tried to reach them.

Starscream paused and looked into one of the prisons. A black and silver Predacon was clamped to the ground multiple times on each limb, then as well on neck, muzzle, tail, and back. Even his four wings were outstretched and taut, although that rosy-pink colour was utterly familiar.

"Who is that one?" Starscream asked.

"Just a clone," the scientist answered. "It appeared suddenly in the Acid Wastes and killed eight bots a few months back."

But Starscream could not tear himself away. He continued to stare, racking his memory.

"Primus!" he yelped at last. "That is no Predacon. That is a vehicon!"

The scientist looked at him as though he had lost his mind.

"Pardon?"

"Valor," Starscream whispered, more to himself. "The singer. He was modified to be like this…"

His hands grasped the bars, but the beast fought against its bonds, trying to snap at him. It could not even open its jaws trapped in its clamp.

At the sound of his voice, a faint groan drifted from a prison a few cells down.

"St...a…"

He was sensitive to his name being said in public, or any attempt of it. Starscream was attracted to the cell down the hall on the corner, which consequently had two walls of bars. This made the tiny inhabitant extremely visible, the one hiding from the bright light to slouch in the corner's shadows. Starscream's wings pressed behind his back as he saw Airachnid, but in a way that he had ever seen her before.

Once, her face had always smirked with cruel ambition, but now, it was dull and sapped of motivation. A stiff mesh covered the lower half of her face like a muzzle, bringing attention to her unfocused eyes. Starscream went silent, creeping up to the bars as he had with Valor. She didn't look up although she had just heard him speaking. It was like she had already forgotten.

He had every reason to hate her, as did many others. But he slowly began to consider her now. Her limbs were cuffed together, but not those on her back- all her extra legs were nonexistent, and a small chain granted her minimal freedom. A long tube connected with her arm, translucent and glowing blue. Energon was constantly being pumped into her, for otherwise, she would soon die. He considered her and realized more. From his time seeking revenge to now, living free as Moonwing, she had been here in one room. For years, she had sat and done nothing more than survive her sickness.

"We may have a cure," Starscream said.

She didn't respond.

"Her strain is a bit different," the scientist said. "Even if we cure Predaking and the others today, it isn't guaranteed to cure her virus."

Did she hear them? How did it feel, to have been here longer than anyone else, but not have the same care and attention as the others? Starscream felt even worse for her then, but he could not tell how much it had ever affected Airachnid to be so unloved.

"I don't think she'll ever be right again," the staff member muttered. "Her insides might not heal, so she will not be able to hold energon. Just a constant thirst is what she has. She killed a hive of Insecticons one-by-one, draining their massive bodies dry… Nothing could satisfy her."

Yes, Starscream had heard. Someone had spotted strange activity on the moon, the Autobots had looked closely and quickly realized something terrible was going on up there. The Insecticons moved in a strange manner, and word had spread quickly since there had been so few Cybertronians on the planet back then. Knockout and the vehicons had recognized a past horror, thus the Autobots knew what to expect.

The Aerialbots had returned to Cybertron just before then, so they with a few other fliers had taken the fight to the air when Airachnid finally descended with her army. With the most destructive weapons, they had outflown and destroyed the hive with the help of refugee spaceships. Only pieces of the corpses had made it to the ground. Among these pieces, was the wounded Airachnid. Her rotors, her extra legs- they had been blown off in the battle. She was a living being, unlike the Insecticons, therefore she had been shown mercy.

That had been long ago. The stubs on her back had stopped smouldering during the time that Starscream was in space, chasing a dream of revenge.

"Come on." The scientist walked on ahead, pressuring Starscream to follow him. It took a few hesitant steps before Starscream remembered his excitement about curing Predaking.

 _And Valor._

The vehicon's musical partner would rise from his misery once he heard about this.

The scientists of the High Council, Ratchet and Perceptor, were here with a team and Optimus Prime. Starscream felt a bit out of place among them, but realized quickly that he had been summoned here for one reason: to surprise Predaking.

They must have been testing the cure on infected blood. Starscream knew this was the day the Predacons would be cured, by the sheer confidence everyone had. There was a huge cart bearing a container filled almost to the top with a green liquid. As someone unlocked Predaking's cell, Ratchet held up an oversized syringe filled with the cure.

In the large room, Predaking snarled through his locked teeth. There was no spark of intelligence in his gaze as he glared at the bots peering through the bars. Stretched out and clamped down, however, he was too weak to reach them. Claws scraped and tail twitched, and the tube connected to his body wobbled.

His growl rose in volume as Ratchet stepped into the cell. With a quick jab, Ratchet inserted the syringe into his upper arm and pushed in the liquid. Predaking hissed at the prick, but it was over quickly. The efficient doctor stood back and watched Predaking with the crowd.

The growls persisted for a few minutes after, eventually pausing, restarting, then pausing as they became confused. Predaking quieted down, stopping his attempt to escape the bonds. He started blinking rapidly at them, expanding and narrowing his eyes, clearing his vision.

Then, he stared around the room and at the floor he was held against. It was hard to tell with his beastly face, but he was confused and shocked. Ratchet took a blood sample, surprising Predaking into directing his attention to him. Scanning it, Ratchet nodded back to the team.

"He is cured," he said.

At Optimus's command, two staff members entered and unlocked his muzzle. Predaking shifted his jaw, but only to ease a stiffness. The staff members, still nervous, then undid his neck clamps. He closed his eyes, relieved, and curled his neck back in a stretch. As he did so, they freed his arms. Each time they liberated a body part, he blissfully stretched it.

When no more clamps restrained him, Predaking transformed for the first time after a year. He stepped up, a smaller bot, sighing and shaking his head. The memories were slowly coming back, but he rumbled, "What happened?"

"You were given the energon-thirst disease," Ratchet reported matter-of-factly. "We have cured you."

"The thirst disease…" Predaking looked down, but his eyes widened as he remembered vague memories of endless suffering, unsatisfiable thirst.

Face wrinkling in rage, he growled, "The ancient one gave it to me during the time I was weak!"

Though his injuries had long since healed over. Now, he stood robust and determined.

"What happened to my people?" he demanded. "Who rules them?"

He gazed over the crowd with his blazing, yellow eyes. Suddenly, he glimpsed Starscream. He stared for a moment, then remembered everything. He had chased him, caught him, and bit right into him. Predaking could still remember the feeling of Starscream's insides breaking between his teeth, so he gasped loudly now.

"You _live_?"

Predaking looked around him, but he was not imagining him. Starscream moved, stepping inside the cell to be closer to him. The Predacon's claws curled over his shoulders, feeling their solidity, before Predaking knelt and embraced him. Completely thrown off guard, Starscream could not help but gasp. While against Predaking's wide chest, he heard him groan, "Forgive me for what I have done. I would never have done such a thing had my mind been sane."

Predaking shuddered in remembrance of how he had drank Starscream's energon. The flavour was remembered as sickly sweet and made him feel nauseous now.

"I… I know," Starscream stammered.

"How did you survive?"

For now, Starscream replied simply, "I am more resilient than you believe."

"Indeed. Now tell me, what has happened while I have been unwell?"

Predaking had let go of him, watching him for the answer to his question. Slowly, he rose to his feet.

"I only recently returned," Starscream said, "but I now know how dire the situation is…"

He summarized everything to him, and the rage within Predaking heightened as he listened. His fists clenched and he bristled so fiercely that his folded wings quivered.

"I will waste no time," he growled. "They must be stopped forthwith! I will reclaim my position and prevent this war!"

Optimus stepped closer. "That will not so simple. You lack support, and the Predacons will undoubtedly prevent you from entering the territory unharmed."

"My brethren, even my own citizens, refusing to grant me entrance?" Predaking snarled at the audacity. "I am their rightful leader! These dishonourable savages will _not_ take my place!"

Predaking marched past Starscream to the cell door. Optimus blocked his path and raised a hand. "I am certain that your return will persuade many. However, do not attempt to enter the territory alone. You may be wounded or killed from such a decision."

"Where are the Predacons who defected?" he demanded. "How many Predacons would march with me? I must confront the false queen and her general, _personally_. Be it through battle or speech, I will oust them before my people!"

"You will have some supporters here," Ratchet grumbled. "If you had the patience, and waited for them to be cured."

Predaking scowled, but moved back out of everyone's way. He followed them as they pushed the cart, but his face twisted back into shock again when he saw the other Predacons. They tugged and snarled, and he breathed, "Was this how I was?"

Ratchet injected each one, not remaining to wait for the results. He and some others went on ahead, giving the cure to every prisoner. Predaking stayed with the closest Predacon, watching him slowly calm down and blink at him. When freed, he transformed and edged back from everyone. The clone mistrusted them, but had realized they had helped him.

"Join me," Predaking beckoned him. "You have been given freedom."

The Predacon had been conditioned to hate bipeds, but he did not touch them now. He came up to the side of the fellow Predacon, the former leader, and found security there.

Starscream walked ahead to the corner, listening to Predaking as he spoke to each new Predacon that was cured. However, he was standing here to watch Airachnid. She too had been injected with the cure, and slowly, a change was happening. She had gained the energy to raise her head, and life began to return to her face. First, she looked startled as she wondered where pain had gone. Then, joy began to light over her masked face.

Starscream murmured, "It is over now."

There was still nothing sinister and cold in her eyes. They were wide as she sat and considered happiness like she had never felt before. It was enjoyable to watch her. What Starscream felt was something like when he had first seen Megatron's clean face as he gently laughed. What he saw was new, unexpected, and heartwarming. Under her mask, she was smiling to herself, as he was too.

Ratchet came by and tested her blood, and was surprised by what he observed. To the other scientists, he called, "It seems that the cure has worked on her as well!"

Only, no one came to free her. Airachnid, the only prisoner with a range of motion, tried to stand. Yet she was so weak and had been sitting for so long that she immediately crumpled. Her eyes watched Ratchet's back as he left, and she tried to stand again.

Starscream slipped inside, no longer thinking so much. By some urge, he wanted to relieve her of something at least. He undid the muzzle around her face, unafraid since he did not imagine that she still had the tube that would shoot out and bite him. A face as normal as he remembered was found there, but her smile was gone now.

Cured though she was, Airachnid was realizing that she would still be a prisoner, soon in jail. Predacons were chattering about what they remembered, freed and walking after Predaking. The only scientists that came into the cell, did so just to tear Starscream away from her.

"Do not release her," he was scolded. "What were you thinking? She is a war criminal!"

"I wasn't," he murmured. He didn't feel the need to justify himself, however, when he saw Optimus kindly gazing at him.

Valor was recovering. Starscream went to see the small, false Predacon as he was unclamped. Once free, he transformed, everything sliding over itself so that he shrunk, growing smaller and smaller. Predacon wings folded up and were concealed into jet wings, the beastly head slipped into his back, and the orange band of his eye lit up. Scientists watched, amazed, as a simple vehicon replaced the beast and stumbled in fatigue.

Starscream held him up.

"It's alright; you're cured now," he told the vehicon.

"Arhh… Moonwing? Wha… happened?"

Valor was heavier than a normal vehicon should have been. Up close to him, Starscream could see the same spiderweb of hair-thin cracks over his body that the Forged had also had.

"The Forged gave you the thirst disease and set you on others," Starscream replied. "Months ago."

"Oh Primus," he groaned. "I am starting to remember… I killed others."

"It was their doing. You won't be punished."

The vehicon jolted as everything hit him at once. He gasped out quickly, "But it _is_ my fault. So many have died because… I let them trick me. I am such a fool! M-my friends were taken and killed because I thought they would be reforged like me. So... many vehicons dead… like St-Steve."

He trembled into Starscream, his fingers squeezing his arms painfully.

"Oh-h-how shall I live with myself?"

When Starscream stroked the wings of his back, his hand curled and hesitant. He could already feel how different they were, and it was frightening. It was as though a monster now resided within the vehicon, made of the parts of a dead Predacon. A corpse; there was a corpse under his surface.

He tried not to twitch as he whispered, "The Forged have been manipulating everyone. Don't blame yourself. They are formidable and highly intelligent."

"Mint!" Valor cried suddenly. He clung tighter to Starscream's arms, hands too heavy and strong. "Oh Mint, tell me that he is alive!"

Starscream tensed up from pain, but tried to murmur, "They stopped taking vehicons. Mint lives, though he is lost without you. He has stopped playing music in the belief that you are dead."

At last, the vehicon released him. Valor grabbed the bars of the cell and pushed himself through the door, stumbling through scientists. "Please, I have to see him. I have to tell him everything! Oh Mint, how could I have ever hidden anything from him…"

Some bots looked ready to stop him, but Optimus decided, "Allow him to leave. One of you may escort him out."

"Thank you!" the vehicon gasped to him. "I have to…"

The one furthest down the hall took it upon himself to lead Valor to the outside world. Predaking did not seem to care much about the vehicon, instead waiting until all the true Predacons had joined him. They were nervously cramming themselves into the hall, unable to avoid mingling with the bipeds and the two even smaller bipedal minicons. The clones tried not to move their feet much, to not poke anyone with footclaws and invoke a fight. They expected harsh punishment at any moment, for having had killed civilians during their diseased craze.

"My brethren!" Predaking instead rallied them. "You have been deceived by evil Decepticons, who intended to use you as weapons of war! They are our common enemy. Only with the Autobots can our race flourish in peace on Cybertron. Stand by me and you will never be imprisoned, used, or manipulated again!"

The grandiose words encouraged the ten Predacons, and their chests swelled.

To Optimus, Predaking now said, "Now, kindly take me to the Predacons who have defected. I want to know who is on my side."

* * *

Starscream had not yet seen the place where the Predacons were being protected. What he saw was a massive, guarded area made up of one large building with a park built behind it. At that time, many Predacons were at play on the equipment in the back. Huge bars could be climbed and there were hoops in the air to fly through. Here, Predacons had the right to transform, and some lay in the sun, warming themselves in beast-form.

Predaking stared at the Newsparks and rescued clones who were playing so carefreely. Some of his former citizens were asleep among them. Stomping ahead of Optimus, Starscream, and the ten clones, Predaking stopped at the edge of the park to boom, "Heed me!"

The young Predacons were startled, dropping from the sky and equipment. The sleeping Predacons jumped awake, transforming and gasping at Predaking.

"You are healed!" someone cried.

Ignoring them, he bellowed, "I need your support to take back the territory and my position as king! We must usurp the power of the evil queen and her general!"

"We can't fight them," one of his former citizens responded. "There are far too many who support them."

"We'd be torn to bits if we went back!" another cried.

The new Predacons, in both beast and bot-form, stepped back and looked frightened. By then, a silver vehicon was already striding up to the front to stand protectively before them. It was Carnation, naturally, who calmly looked up to the giant.

"These Predacons will not fight."

Predaking's eyes widened at the challenge, especially since it had come from a vehicon. "What of our honour?" He threw his gaze from the vehicon to glare at the Predacons. "These savages threaten our world with destruction! We Predacons must fight against them for what is right!"

One of the young ones whined, "But the Autobots are fighting them. Why do we have to?"

"Cowards!" Predaking barked. "Remaining here, passing your days playing and slumbering while-"

Predaking was startled when the vehicon dared interrupt him with a firm response. "They will not come!"

"What?"

Carnation clenched his fist. "Shame upon you. They are far too young! And this fight doesn't concern them!"

Predaking leaned down to the vehicon, his furious face close to his. "And how does it not? They are Predacons, and _I_ am their king."

Another Predacon mewled, "King? We don't have a king."

"I am your king!" Predaking straightened his back and roared over the vehicon. "I am Predaking!"

"We don't need a king," someone replied. "That's a funny idea. Why have a king over one race?"

"Yeah, we already have the High Council." Someone pointed towards Optimus. "He's our leader, isn't he? Optimus Prime!"

Predaking's cold face came back close to the vehicon teacher, " _What_ exactly, have you been teaching them?"

Optimus was silent, allowing the vehicon the chance to stand up to Predaking. Courageous, unyielding, Carnation crossed his arms and said, "You think much too highly of yourself, Predaking. It is time you learned. Everyone here knows that the tyrants corrupting the Predacons must be stopped. But you need to stop thinking that Predacons are the strongest and most suited to solve the world's problems. You have capable allies everywhere, non Predacons with strengths equal to your own. You have a Prime, Seekers, Wreckers, Elite Guards, police officers… Instead of looking for Predacons to command, why don't you trust in your comrades?"

Predaking's mouth straightened into a tense line.

The vehicon went on, "Predaking, perhaps there is a lesson out of all of this. Is it wise, to separate a race, isolating them on one piece of land, and having a separate ruler for them?"

"I did it to protect them," Predaking uttered, "from the hatred of the others."

"We cannot divide races," Carnation said. "It is harmful. Cybertron is full of races: various kinds of minicons, bipeds, quadrupeds, animalistic types, Predacons… but your race was the only one not partaking in the harmony. Imagine, Predacons living among the city like anyone else. Or at least, any Cybertronian freely allowed to buy property in the Predacon District. Your kind would be seen, spoken to, and free to express themselves. No one ever got to see that the Predacons were just like everyone else."

Predaking frowned as the vehicon uncrossed his arms.

Carnation said, "You _are_ a natural leader, Predaking. You were a good king who cared about the needs of his people. So take my advice, and be not a leader of Predacons, but be a leader for _all_. Join the High Council, and be the voice for Predacons that will help unify all Cybertronian races into the future."

The young Predacons chirruped and cheered for their favourite teacher's words.

"Yeah! Yeah! A High Councilor's good!"

"A leader for everyone!"

The former citizens scuffed their feet. Predaking snapped his head to them.

"It isn't a bad idea…" one conceded, but shied away from his intense gaze.

Another admitted, "Maybe it would be better to mingle with the others… They'd get used to us."

Predaking frowned, trying to find a way to argue this but he slowly realized that would be difficult.

"We have been working on promoting acceptance," Carnation continued. "It is working quite well. We allowed the Newsparks of other schools to come here to visit. They spend some time sitting in the same classroom together and playing together. The new generation is being raised to not fear and despise your kind. So here is the proof, that instead of dividing schools by race, we should really just be filling classrooms with diversity. That way, the students forget to think about race, thinking of each other by personality and interests foremost."

Predaking was too stubborn to promptly drop everything he had prided himself on. He enjoyed being a Predacon, being known to be one and the mightiest one at that. He didn't like the idea of _Predaconness_ being ignored since he felt that it was his defining feature. But he began to realize that he could not argue this without seeming like a supremacist. Except, he knew that it _was_ what he was. He couldn't help it still. Predaking couldn't imagine being happy as an automobile-type like Optimus or a flier like Starscream. He wouldn't have wanted to be anything other than a Predacon. They were the strongest naturally, and to him an armada of Seekers did not seem anywhere near as formidable as an armada of Predacons.

Predaking shook his head. "The Predacons must confront our twisted brethren. None of this would have happened if it weren't for the deceptive ones called the Forged. If we defeat them and stop this war, then we will regain our honour in the optics of the other races."

Carnation sighed, "You are a fool if you think a small fighting force of Predacons could fix a problem the entire Air Command could not. You, I remember how you supported the Queen at some of her speeches. You never did believe Seekers were strong enough, and there were times when you wanted them to leave. You only began to support their presence because you enjoyed the peace and development they brought. You still have yet to realize, along with many others, that other races are just as capable as Predacons in their own ways."

Optimus lifted his eyes, proud of the vehicon's wisdom. Predaking huffed, hating how these words sounded so wholesome and good that to argue against them would make him look like he was in the wrong.

"Very well," Predaking uttered. "Stay here; do nothing. I will act."

Optimus stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and a warning. "Predaking. You will not go alone."

Predaking snapped, "Shall I remain here then, resting in the sun while my domain is soiled by thieves? Allow me to go to the border. Perhaps, I may speak with my brethren and be granted access."

Starscream finally muttered, "They would capture you or kill you. Do not be a stubborn fool."

Predaking snarled, "I must at least confront my enemies, even if it be at the border! They will show their faces to me. A Predacon takes pride in their honour. None would refuse my challenge."

"Do not be so sure of that," Starscream grumbled.

Predaking turned on Optimus. "Oblige me this. Take me to the border, guard me however you like while I speak to them. Either you do this, or I shall go alone."

Optimus stared into his eyes, steady and serious. One could tell that he was strongly against the idea, but he did not believe that restraining Predaking would lead to any good. There was a chance as well, that Predaking's presence might cause a stir.

So he uttered, "So be it, Predaking. But know that you have been thoroughly warned."

* * *

They were by the border closest to Vos. Forty Seekers hid among the buildings, armed with powerful missiles. Jetfire and Starscream spied on the scene for them while Optimus and Ultra Magnus were elsewhere, peering out from a building on the ground with a force of Wreckers with them.

Predaking, in draconic form, rose up into the air so that he was in plain sight. Then, he flew towards the border on a beeline. His massive wingspan immediately caught the attention of Predacon guards in the distance; he transformed and waited for them at the edge. They came down snarling, before transforming as well.

"You, the Predaking," a clone hissed. "You are not welcome, biped-lover!"

"You aren't one of us," another growled.

The third snapped, "You are no true Predacon!"

Predaking snarled and grabbed two of their heads, smashing them together. "I am more of a Predacon than _all_ of you!"

The three transformed and reared back, fire in their throats. Predaking shouted, "Bring me your leaders to speak with me here. Have they any honour, they will come!"

The fire died down; the Predacons looked at each other with distaste, before one flew off.

Surprisingly soon, he returned with another Predacon. This one looked similar to Skystalker, even when he transformed. But he introduced himself as, "I am Backbite, lieutenant to the General."

"I do not care who you are," Predaking growled. "Bring me this General, and bring me the Queen!"

"For what purpose?" Backbite hissed.

"To challenge them for leadership!"

Backbite muttered, "Then I shall inform General Skystalker."

This lieutenant transformed and flew off, curving and disappearing over a plateau. The other clones remained behind, surrounding Predaking and glaring at him with malicious eyes.

"So you've come alone, have you?" one uttered. "Such an arrogant fool. Do you think you can take on an army on your own?"

The other Predacons chuckled at the jibe.

"You think you deserve to rule?" another taunted. "No one here wants you to be their leader. Crawl back to your little bipedal friends. You're soft- a weak clone pampered by those little creatures. You wouldn't even understand how it feels to be a true Predacon!"

From a hole in the wall, Starscream watched Predaking's stance widening. He was barely keeping control of his rage. When Predaking said nothing, the clones quieted down, prowled aimlessly, and waited.

The territory the Predacons ruled over was massive, so there was no telling if it would take hours for Skystalker or Azure to appear. It was a colossal surprise when a groundbridge portal opened up half an hour later, among the buildings were the armies hid. Skystalker stalked up to Predaking on his toes with Backbite beside him.

"So you have come," Skystalker said.

"You are Skystalker." Predaking looked the smaller, blue Predacon up and down, unimpressed.

"Yes. I heard you wish to take this land." Skystalker locked the lower half of his face behind a grey mask. "And you will fight for it. I too, am willing to fight. How did you plan for us to do it?"

"One-on-one, in our true forms," Predaking growled.

Skystalker peered around them into buildings, picking out shapes that had tried to duck out of sight. "You have clearly brought more than yourself here. I thought you were more honourable than that, Predaking, setting a dirty trap. Was this all to capture me?"

"No, I will fight you and the Queen on my own," Predaking hissed.

From out of sight, Starscream's wings raised. _He is goading you, Predaking. Do not leave the scene._

"Then as a Predacon with honour," Skystalker said, "you must abandon these forces. If you come to the centre, my Queen will gladly challenge you to a duel."

"Very well."

At that, Jetfire rallied the Seekers, and Optimus and Ultra Magnus commanded the Wreckers. Both the air and ground military appeared, armed to the teeth and sharp-eyed. Predaking bristled at their interjection, but Optimus boomed across the way, "It will happen here. We will not fall for your trap."

"You dare threaten me?" Skystalker boomed. "Idiotic Prime! We are more than ready for you! Release them!"

At once, ten groundbridge portals opened up. A horde of Decepticons, equally armed and dangerous swarmed onto the scene, outnumbering them all twice over. Gangs of eager criminals tapped the flats of their blades, maces, and blasters against their hands, chuckling and eager for action. The Decepticon Seekers among them raised their missiles at the Autobot Seekers on the roofs. Among them, Starscream spotted Slipstream, targeting Optimus Prime.

The Autobots froze at the standstill. Skystalker cackled, "Predaking is ours! Try to take him if you dare!"

A group of Decepticons tossed a weighted net over Predaking. When it fell over him, it crackled with electricity. Predaking roared and transformed, flinging it off before lunging at the Decepticons who had thrown it. Everyone snapped into action then. The Autobot Seekers fired their missiles at the horde as they charged the ground force. In retaliation, the Decepticon Seekers rose into the air to engage them, firing and pulling away their attention.

Steel clashed and metal dented as the ground armies and aerial armies collided. Vicious and experienced, the older Decepticons quickly began to overpower the young Autobot Seekers and Wreckers. Starscream transformed and weaved among the Decepticon Seekers, blasting his nullrays at them and dodging their retaliation. This was only done in passing as he raced to the ground, where he had espied Slipstream fire at Optimus before charging towards him.

Skystalker transformed and reared up behind Predaking. Before he could be stopped, he blasted his intensely cold breath at Predaking's back. Hurt and shocked, Predaking roared and lost control of his back legs. Backbite leapt for his haunch and clamped in his teeth as Skystalker scampered around to blast Predaking's face next.

Starscream was distracted as Slipstream flung herself at Optimus. He dodged her next missile the same time he booted away another Decepticon. But then the distance had been closed, and she shrieked, "I've been waiting for a rematch, Prime!"

The Seeker shoved aside a fellow Decepticon take his place. Back to her natural form, the lithe and nimble Slipstream wove and twisted in classic Seeker fighting style, never being where she was expected to be. She struck and retreated, opening a few cuts on him before Optimus caught finally her on his fist. Slipstream twirled and was sent flying from the blow, falling into other running Decepticons and tripping them.

Starscream landed beside Optimus, pausing to shoot a few other Decepticons with him while they could. For Slipstream was soon back, snarling with bloody rage and screaming at Optimus, "You will pay for defeating me! You left me unconscious after our fight! I was abandoned!"

She charged at him, firing nullrays and punctuating with each blast "On! That! Junk! Planet!"

Optimus dodged some of the blasts and tolerated the burns of the rest. No more came when Starscream threw himself at his old lieutenant, and Slipstream didn't expect someone as quick as her to snatch her. Reflexively, she swiped out at her enemy's face. Starscream tilted back his head in time, saving his eyes, before engaging her.

She forgot Optimus, trotting back from Starscream's slashing claws.

"How dare you!" she shrieked. "You're one of us! How dare you attack one of your Seekers?"

The Seekers came too close to each other, and both overwhelmed by different rages, snatched each other. It was a dirty grapple, of scratches and arm slapping and rolling into other bots' fights. But Starscream was quicker, and she soon realized it. His hands were coming too close to her face, neck, and chest. Slipstream kicked him away, starting to retreat since she knew he would end up killing her if she didn't.

A portal opened up behind the horde. Skystalker stood on his two legs, grasping the tail of Predaking's frozen body.

"Retreat! We have him!" the General hollered.

The other portals opened up then. Suddenly, the wave of Decepticons pulled back, shooting as they did until they disappeared through the portals. Skystalker and three clones hastened back, dragging Predaking's unconscious body through. Slipstream fled from Starscream while he was distracted, jetting away to disappear with the rest of the Decepticons.

The portals within the ruined city closed, leaving the Autobots in silence. Starscream checked his minor wounds, then gazed incredulously at where the portals had just been. It was unbelievable that such a force of Decepticons had just appeared and vanished as quickly as they had.

Jetfire landed beside Optimus and Ultra Magnus. "No Seekers have been killed."

The ground was heavily scratched, but there was hardly any other indication of the quick, brief brawl. Six Decepticons lay sprawled, dead, but no Autobots were among them. Ultra Magnus wiped energon off his sword on a building's corner, then spotted a blue tail disappearing out of sight. He pointed and bellowed, urging the army onward.

The Predacon lieutenant, Backbite, was trying to drag himself back to the Predacon territory. His hindleg and left wing joint had taken some serious damage during the fight with Predaking. Now, the beast suddenly found himself surrounded by dark-faced Seekers and Wreckers, headed by Optimus Prime.

"Where has Predaking been taken?" he demanded, voice dark in severity.

Ultra Magnus' blaster glowed in his eye. Backbite transformed with a scream of pain, then sat and glared venomously at them all.

"You lost this fight," he chuckled. "And you will lose the war too. Inferior bipeds! You will all perish! We will rule!"

He laughed, trying to raise his own defiant spirit further. Ironhide growled impatiently and also shoved a hefty blaster against his head. "You answer when Optimus talks to you."

"A Prime means nothing to me," Backbite spat.

Ultra Magnus pressed back his head with the blaster. "What will you do with Predaking?"

Backbite giggled as he suddenly found he was all too eager to share information. "He will learn to be like us! We will want a strong one like that on our side. With some conditioning, Skystalker thinks he would become a proper Predacon. Queen Azure has told us! He is a clone of the mighty, original king of the Predacons. And she knew him. He hunted with relish, animals and your kind alike! Very soon, Predaking will enjoy eating you. Just like I do. I was a clone made by the Forged to hunt and kill Autobots, and I have consumed your inferior kind many times before!"

"Kill him," a Seeker hissed. "The creature does not deserve to exist."

"Yes, fear me!" Backbite laughed. "All of you, fire at me. Certainly, only together you could defeat me. No single biped could ever defeat a mighty Predacon single-handedly!"

Optimus ignored his taunting, and he repeated steadily, "Where is Predaking?"

"Out of your reach," Backbite hissed. "Ha, try to get him! They'll be dragging him across the border and territory now. But the army will be protecting him well, so that he gets to the centre of the Valley. And once he's there, you'll have to pass by our army of one thousand! That's right, Prime creature. He's ours now. We can do whatever we want to him, and you can't do _anything_ about it. So we'll train him and feed him right!"

Backbite leered at the fliers around him.

"Just today, we found this little, tasty Seeker trying to spy on us in the centre. Queen Azure was going to save him for when she was hungry enough, but he'll be perfect now for Predaking!"

Then the Predacon roared with hilarity, relishing the horror and revulsion on his captors' faces.


	39. Chapter 38: Catalyst

A grim mood had fallen over the soldiers after Backbite's words, but soon it was made clear that the darkness had allowed opportunity for light.

"Optimus!" Arcee called through the commlink. "You aren't going to believe this!"

Her words were so full of optimism that everyone listened attentively, even the Predacon lieutenant.

"The Forged have been apprehended. We have them. I repeat, we have captured the Forged!"

Jaws dropped all around. Optimus' battle mask unfolded as he replied, "What is your location?"

"I am at the radio station with Bulkhead, Bee, and some officers. I'll explain when you get here."

The arrogant Predacon lieutenant suddenly looked hesitant, stunned and confused at the loss of the Forged. Ironhide shoved him spitefully and laughed, "Didn't like the sound o' that, did you? Looks like you needed the smart heads of some inferior _bipeds_."

Scorned and unable to think of a response, Backbite clenched his jaw.

Optimus commanded, "Take the Predacon to have his wounds treated. Then, have him interrogated for crucial information. Ultra Magnus, you may wish to come with me."

That left all in the hands of Jetfire.

Starscream hopped up beside Optimus. "And may I accompany you?"

"You may."

He assumed that it had all been Soundwave's clever doing. They took a portal to Kaon, finding the M2 Kaon radio station blocked by police barricades. Confused civilians crowded and peeked in, but the three broke past them. Inside, officers and Elite Guards were collecting the unconscious bodies of the Forged and cuffing them.

Bulkhead came down the elevator with another load of Forged soldiers. He immediately went up to Optimus, rumbling discreetly, "We can't let anyone else up… _They're_ up there."

Optimus, Ultra Magnus, and Starscream went to the highest level. Three more Forged were left in an unconscious slump, ready for the next pick up. Under the glass-domed ceiling, Megatron, Shockwave, and Soundwave stood with Arcee and Bumblebee. It would have been a strange combination, but the Autobots and former infamous Deceptions were connected by satisfied expressions.

"So?" Starscream asked. "Soundwave?"

"Indeed," Megatron replied. "The opportunity came. All the Forged were in the building, distracted by the turn of events. As they became occupied by the deployment of their army, Soundwave activated the inner defenses. None of them were prepared for when he turned the weapons against them."

Starscream looked back at the bodies, whose eyes were still open. Just as Megatron had said, no one had ever expected Soundwave's ultimate betrayal. They had been shocked into stasis, open-mouthed and unable to comprehend what and who had shot them in the backs.

They remained up here as those below counted and recounted the bodies. Then, Bulkhead exclaimed through the commlink, "Thirty-one! We got all of them!"

Bumblebee whooped and so did Starscream, though Starscream instantly felt embarrassed for doing so beside Optimus and in front of Megatron, Shockwave, and Soundwave. He quieted down and instead laughed in relief.

"This changes the game," he sighed. "They have lost their heads."

And with them gone, Megatron, Shockwave, and Soundwave were no longer bound by them. They now had freedom of mobility to act as they pleased.

"Now, to address the remaining issue of the Predacons," Shockwave said.

Starscream blathered, "They've just taken Predaking, and they have one of my Seekers held captive."

"For that, we will act immediately," Optimus said. "We must destroy the deadzone shielding which protects the territory. Only then can we send in an army via groundbridge into the centre to rescue the captives and seize the Predacon leaders."

"So you wish to bring the fight to them at last." Megatron grinned at the prospect of hard action.

"But we will take our most powerful relics with us," Optimus added, voice grave. "I will wield the Star Saber."

Bumblebee muttered, "But taking down their shielding won't be easy."

"No," Optimus said. "That is why we must enlist the aid of our Predacon allies within the territory."

Starscream raised his wings. With Sunchaser's help, he and Arcee had gathered many such allies. That would be a job for them, and he caught Arcee's ready gaze.

* * *

Word had spread quickly through Vos about Predaking and the fellow Seeker who was prisoner there. Seekers were in the street and on the buildings, roaring for violent action. They suggested shelling the outskirts, charging in with the entire Air Command and ground military, and slaughtering every last Predacon. Jetfire's voice was playing over the loudspeakers, reassuring the Seekers that action would be taken. Some Seekers were so enraged, however, that they tried to fly off in the direction of the territory, only to be stopped by Silverbolt and Air Raid.

Starscream gathered only Sunchaser and Comet to help them search for their Predacon allies. Both Cloudtips and Soft Breeze would be out on night patrols, but Starscream preferred the smaller numbers and the quicker Seekers anyway for this mission. However, they could not simply meet up with their spies without a preplanned time. They were going to have to spot one of them outside by peeking through tunnel entrances, and hopefully their spies hung around the usual area.

They had come at night to use the cover of darkness. By now, unfortunately, Predaking would have been in the centre and assumably locked up with Charred Mist.

"They will get it if they so much as scratched his finish...!" Comet growled on the way. Arcee shushed him.

They ran into more Insecticons in the tunnel than before. The one they had spoken to earlier now showed off a severed Predacon tail to them and snarled, "I will get the head next time!"

They were allies technically, only ones that Arcee did not think she could work with. They left the Insecticons to their own project of revenge.

Arcee placed Starscream and the Seekers in the hole where they usually met with their spies. She said, "Hopefully, they hang around here often. Wait to see if you can spot them. I will scout on ahead."

Arcee trotted off into the darkness, fastest and stealthiest alone. While she was gone, Starscream kept an eye on Comet, who might have been prone to running off like his friend. However, Comet made no moves, instead opting to be as helpful as he could be. The small, black and red Seeker was always well polished, but he did not glint or have bright colours. He took it upon himself to climb up to the top to peer out of the hole for them.

Cautiously, the Seeker peeked out over the top, only to promptly scream. Silver-white claws swung around his wings, then yanked him over the edge. In an instant Sunchaser and Starscream were at the walls and clambering up them, urged on by the grunts and cries of Comet's struggle.

Once their eyes were level with the surface, they immediately saw the cruel, masked face of Skystalker looking down at them. He had transformed, one foot pressed down on Comet's slender back, and behind the general, three other Predacons loomed and flashed their fangs.

"Step out, Starscream," Skystalker hissed. "Or I will rip this one apart limb-by-limb."

The Predacons stalked forward while Sunchaser gaped in absolute confusion and terror.

"Now!" Skystalker barked at him.

One beak snapped onto Sunchaser's wing, plucking him out screaming. Starscream hastily scrambled out, knowing that he would be instantly pinned by another Predacon. He lay still as he was, pulse quick as a draconic face bit off the missiles on his arms.

Skystalker reached down, disarming Comet then holding him up by the throat.

"Where is Arcee?" Skystalker snapped.

Starscream stammered, "Sh-she left us."

Skystalker huffed, but seemed unbothered. "Come with us and don't resist. I have a task for you, Starscream, so don't make me kill _another_ one of your flying friends."

The Predacons grasped the Seekers around their bodies, tightening their claws so they could not wiggle free. Skystalker took to the air, Comet in his own claws, and he led the group skywards.

Starscream stared downwards in fear. The hole of the tunnel vanished as they flew higher into the sky and deeper into the territory. He wondered if Arcee had heard their screams, and if she had run back to Optimus. But even if she had, the Autobots were not prepared to rescue them. With a heavy, cold feeling inside him, Starscream knew that they were on their own.

If only he were alone as a captive, without needing to fear for the lives of Sunchaser and Comet. He would have fought to escape, but now, he hung like dead meat in a strange Predacon's talons. There was nothing else he could do but think, _What does he intend to do with me? What could he possibly get from me?_

They went above the clouds, no longer visible to any Predacons on the ground. Skystalker was trying to avoid a stir, keeping the original Predacons civilians from seeing Starscream and the other Seekers. Along the way, Comet and Sunchaser cast frightened glances back at Starscream. Those looks questioned him, _What did he mean, "Starscream"?_

Cloudcover broke and they could temporarily see the ground below. They flew over the so-called "Plain of Our Ancestors" from which undead Predacons had once been risen by Unicron. Now, not even the dust and lone bones remained, having been snatched away for cloning. The Seekers knew now, nevertheless, that they were at the familiar outskirts of the Valley on the certain path to the city's centre.

The Predacons had confidence now to fly low, displaying their captives to any who looked up. They had come to the town, yet all the buildings that had been added during Starscream's time here had been burnt to the ground. Only lumps of melted metal remained. Unfamiliar Predacons prowled within the town centre, guarding it even from the untrustworthy Predacon citizens whose homes still remained. The clones were armoured, with white pads covering the sides of their joints and white masks over their heads. Eerie, ghost faces looked every which way, yellow eyes alight within them behind eye covers.

Only the cruellest remained here, so it came as a surprise when Starscream espied a cluster of Decepticons now lounging in the centre. It wasn't the entire horde, but many of them were here now. They relaxed, unbothered, even as Predacons tracked their movements and gnawed on animal corpses around them. Slipstream was recharging with some other Seekers while they descended. Starscream, Sunchaser, and Comet were silent from shock, thus made no noises yet that would wake them.

Sparks flung as Decepticons welded the roof of a massive cage. Predaking was drugged and passed out, already clamped to the ground and stretched out. The cage was made to be tight around Predaking, leaving no room for Charred Mist to get out of his reach. The tiny Seeker was chained by the neck to the cage, but he was easily in reach of Predaking's jaws. He had been tugging and clawing at his collar, then stopped and looked up as Skystalker's group flew in with the Seekers.

Comet hollered to him, "Charr!"

The black and brown smudge screamed back, "No! What happened?"

He vainly reached after them through the bars. Their cries startled awake some Decepticons, and Slipstream sat up in time to see Starscream carried away. Then, she was gone; the Predacons swept past and dropped down below a building.

It was the centre Air Raid had used to use to monitor the cameras within the city. After transforming, the Predacons roughly seized the Seekers, pinching their arms together behind their backs and pushing them inside the building.

One room had been hollowed out of furniture, empty except for numerous T-shaped poles set into the floor. Starscream instantly remembered them. He had seen a vehicon tied to one of these, slaughtered and eaten. Worse, Starscream had seen the flashback of Steve's memory before he had been killed. Somewhere on this world, Steve's remains might still be partially attached to one of these poles. Starscream felt the rage and grief boiling up inside him just to see them now.

He yanked against the Predacon holding him, crying out and kicking back. Skystalker whirled around, squeezing Comet as a warning while he delivered a kick to Starscream's chest.

"Not a move," he hissed.

Starscream coughed and glared daggers at him. "What do you want with me?"

"Be patient," Skystalker muttered.

The Predacons dragged the Seekers up to the poles. Skystalker kept a hold on Comet's neck and head, the very same hold that had been used to kill Aceflight. Neither Starscream nor Sunchaser tried to escape as their wrists and ankles were tied behind them to the poles with rough cord, putting them in an optimally weak position. Sunchaser gasped rapidly beside Starscream, beginning to panic. Suddenly, Sunchaser pulled and jolted, but it was too late to escape now.

Comet was bound beside Sunchaser, too scared to try to run past Skystalker. Then, the tall Predacon waved off the others, "That is all. Leave us."

Skystalker's eyes sparkled as he looked at the helpless Seekers.

"That is right," he chuckled. "You should be scared of me. I am the most intelligent Predacon that ever existed. Perhaps you celebrated when you captured the Forged, but I don't need them anymore."

He pointed towards the way they had come in. "All those Decepticons and Predacons are _mine_ to command now. The plan will proceed. The apocalypse will come, and I will spare those loyal to us. After all, there is no harm keeping _some_ of your kind, even if they will become mere soldiers and slaves. They can build the superweapons to keep other planets from taking Cybertron from us."

Skystalker stalked up to Starscream and bent forward. "A shame that you really are an Autobot, but I knew we couldn't trust you. You won't survive the apocalypse, Starscream, because you are a traitor. All you do is help the Autobots, and I heard you fought with them as we took Predaking."

His claws played by Starscream's throat.

"But I need you alive still," he said. "I need to use you one last time. And you Autobots are so predictable. Of course you would come back, looking for friends to help you. You think I did not notice the citizen Predacons disappearing? We keep an eye on those ones, who used to be your friends… and it allowed me to find one particular, useful traitor…"

Skystalker backstepped and turned, chuckling. To their surprise, he left the room entirely. Starscream slid out his claws, curling them and reaching for the cord at his wrists.

Sunchaser and Comet pulled and whimpered.

"I can't get loose!" Sunchaser wailed and thrust.

"Shush, I can reach my cord," Starscream whispered.

He dragged his claws over the metal, then felt that he had made some grooves. Starscream began clawing furiously, although the screeching was loud enough to make them nervous.

"What was he talking about, M-Moonwing?" Comet whispered back.

Starscream ignored him and their stares. He kept scratching. "When I get you loose, we will all go for Skystalker. We'll use him to get out of here…"

His spark sank when they heard returning footsteps. Skystalker returned, a device slung under one arm and something grasped in his other hand. Azure, the white Predacon, followed and grinned at the bound Seekers. Already, Starscream had retracted his claws and relaxed his wrists as they walked by.

"Well, look at them," Skystalker told her. "It was just too easy to get them. Just had to wait long enough for them to show."

He stepped up to the Seekers, holding up what looked like two grey balls in his hand.

"Red is a common enough optic colour in your kind." Skystalker glanced from Starscream to Comet. "Though, extremely rare in our species."

The two optics dropped to the floor, rolling near them. They were small, the eyes of a bot's head and not the draconic one. There was no light within them, but the dull red could still be seen set into the eyeballs. Sunchaser's face twitched horribly as he recognized who they had belonged to.

"Fl-Flutter? What h-have you…" Then the yellow Seeker screeched. "What did you _do_ to him? Did you kill him? _Did you_?"

Skystalker did not answer; his eyes narrowed and he kicked the Predacon optics across the room.

"Murderer!" Sunchaser ripped his voice box raw. "Murderer!"

Azure glared in irritation, displeased by the loud noise.

"Be quiet, creature," she hissed. "Or I will silence you here and now."

Sunchaser rasped, "One day you will get the fate you deserve. Justice always finds those as evil as you… Mark my words."

"He's awfully upset," Azure muttered to Skystalker. "How strange, this flier caring so much about a Predacon. It is unnatural. One day, we won't have any of this nonsense."

Skystalker knelt down in front of Starscream and turned the video camera to him. Everyone went quiet as he uttered, "Such a simple device, but something you fear." He indicated the lens. "Look here, Starscream."

Starscream stiffened and stared at the ground.

"Ah, so you know exactly where this is going," Skystalker cackled. He turned to the two startled Seekers. "Look at him, you two. This is not your beloved Moonwing. This is Starscream, the former second-in-command of the Decepticons! Lieutenant to the tyrant, Megatron!"

He grabbed Starscream's head and yanked it harshly to the side. "Now. Look right into the camera and say it."

The black of Starscream's eyes were clearly visible as he trembled. No words could come forth.

Azure transformed and crept around to the Seekers. Huge and powerful, she crouched and exposed her dagger-sized teeth.

"Start talking," Skystalker pressed. "Quick, or one dies."

"I-I…" Starscream stared at the camera but could barely see it. "I am Starscream."

"No good. You know how I want you to be convincing. You know that either you act like a Decepticon for me, or we…"

Azure snapped her teeth over Comet's head to make him scream in fright. The sound of it terrified Starscream into stammering, but he was unable to form any coherent words. Instead of stressing him further, Skystalker muttered, "Come on now, we won't harm them. Let me have this video, and then we'll send you all back. I need you alive, Starscream. You and the Seekers will be sent out after this."

Azure transformed back into her bot-form.

The general continued, "Explain how you want to take over the Air Command as the Sky Commander. Yes, this will all be used against you. But if you say it, you will have enough time to hide yourself in a hole afterwards. I'll make it easier for you. Repeat these lines: Those foolish Autobots allowed me a second chance…"

He waited. Starscream twitched, then looked to the camera. He murmured the words, but was forced over and over again to repeat the lines louder, until he spoke at conversational volume.

Skystalker added, "I deceive them into trusting me, and I seize every opportunity…"

His spark cried out, but he stared at the camera and repeated it.

"It was easy for me to become a lieutenant, then I took Air Raid's position as the air commander."

Sunchaser and Comet could not help but look relieved as Starscream complied. As long as Skystalker got what he wanted, all three would survive. Knowing this, Starscream said even this line.

"What remains now is to take Jetfire's place."

Starscream hesitated. There would be drastic consequences for implying the want to kill Jetfire. But even if the video was released, or before its release- Jetfire would defend him. All of the High Council would protect him, explaining that he had been threatened to lie.

 _I could reveal myself before Skystalker does_ , he thought. _That way, this cannot be used against me._

Starscream said, "What remains now is to take Jetfire's place."

"That will do," Skystalker chuckled. He stopped the recording and protectively escorted it out of the room. Azure smiled maliciously at the Seekers, but Sunchaser and Comet were still staring at Starscream. They had relaxed enough to stop worrying about themselves, and were free to show him all their shock after learning of his identity.

Alone with the white Predacon, Starscream saw an opportunity to cause disorder. He gasped out, "Do you not suspect his ambition?"

Green eyes slid over to him.

"Skystalker's?" the ancient Predacon drawled.

"He speaks of the Predacons and Decepticon's as his. Are _you_ not the ruler?"

"Naturally," she smirked. "I am their queen: the strongest and most ruthless of all the Predacons."

"Skystalker calls himself the most intelligent of your kind," Starscream pressed her. "He may try to usurp you."

The white Predacon broke off into a fit of laughter. Azure was still chuckling when Skystalker returned.

"Has something been said?" he asked.

"The little creature tried to be clever," Azure grinned. "He wanted to put me against you, make me feel threatened that you might try to take my position."

Skystalker chuckled as well. "One can never trust a word he says. But you were far from being fooled, of course. You know that I have no interest other than leading a powerful army. We need a strong queen to encourage the others, and there is none better than an original Predacon like you!"

Skystalker smirked at Starscream. "Not everyone has your ambitions, traitor. I want her to be a figurehead, and she can reap all the praise and love from it. I don't care. So long as this planet falls under Predacon control and our superior race is free."

Time was crawling by, frightening all the Seekers.

"You have what you wanted," Starscream uttered. "Now release us as you swore."

Skystalker and Azure looked at each other, sharing a smile. When they didn't answer immediately, Starscream felt his blood rushing hot through his veins.

"Where is your honour?" he flung out. "Are you not Predacons of your word?"

"Well," Skystalker uttered. "I had to encourage you to speak somehow, did I not? Oh, what is the point of honour for honour's sake? Of course you will be released; _you_ have to be. As for these two..."

Azure's eyes glinted with excitement.

"You are cowards!" Starscream snarled, hoping they could not hear the tremble in his voice, or his claws filing the cords. "Killing helpless captives! Are you too frightened to face us in a fight?"

"Shut up!" Azure snapped. "You? Why you pathetic, small Seekers wouldn't stand a chance against a Predacon regardless!"

"Don't listen to him," Skystalker growled. "He is trying to trick you into releasing them. Just pick the one you want."

The white Predacon did not hesitate. She pointed at Sunchaser and hissed, "That one. I have always hated him. Troublesome flier, befriending Predacons and getting in the way!"

Sunchaser yelped and tugged against his binds. Starscream sawed frantically at his bonds, feeling them about to give. The screeching was loud enough to jolt Skystalker into attention. He trotted around Starscream and saw what he had been doing to the cords. Instantly, he set himself upon Starscream, punching left and right and roaring, "Idiotic Seeker! You will stay here and listen! Watch it all you _stupid creature_!"

Skystalker panted, trying to hold himself back from ripping into him with his claws.

"Meddlesome pests," he hissed at Starscream. "I hate Seekers. I hate you more than anything else..."

To Azure, Skystalker ordered, "Make it hurt."

Starscream expected help to burst in at that moment. It always seemed to happen to the Autobots, seconds before they were killed. But Azure transformed; stretching up on all four legs and looking down at the quaking Seeker. Then, she lowered herself into a crouch, stalking closer at a teasingly slow pace. Her eyes lit up with glee at Sunchaser's squeals and struggle with his bonds.

Starscream knew no one was coming. His claws raked the bonds, and suddenly one wrist came free. He flung out his arm, forming it into a blaster with an enraged cry. Skystalker grabbed his arm and yanked it back so hard that he nearly dislocated it, never allowing him even a shot.

Azure spat out a hiss and continued forward. Her massive head paused in front of Sunchaser, her fanged mouth creaking open in a smile.

"Stop! Get away from me!" Sunchaser screeched. "Get away!"

He writhed and screamed, all to no avail. Comet wailed, "Don't! _Stop it_!"

Her creep up to him had been slow, but now she struck like lightning. Azure's teeth snapped into Sunchaser's abdomen crunching in and shattering his cockpit. The thin Seeker jolted and screeched a most piercing, terrified, and agonized scream. Tears dripped from his blue eyes, and his wings were askew as he tried to pull back. But there was nowhere to go. His back scraped the pole as she twisted her head and yanked. A string of organs came free; Starscream and Comet snapped their gazes away and choked when Sunchaser went abruptly silent.

In the next second, they heard crunching metal and clinking as Azure swallowed.

Comet's eyes were tightly closed, but screeched and fought against his binds. "Sunchaser! Sunchaser!"

Starscream clawed free his other arm, crying out and slashing at Skystalker. The Predacon caught him, spread his arms and kneed Starscream's chest. As he crumbled and coughed again, Starscream could still hear the sounds of tearing metal.

"Why aren't you looking?" Skystalker whispered.

Starscream's eyes flared open with poisonous rage. "You will _pay_. I will make you suffer, you miserable beasts!"

"That doesn't sound like what a true Autobot would say," Skystalker chuckled. "I don't think you really are one. You won't mind it then, when I kill the other one?"

Starscream snarled and shot at him the moment he let go of his arms. Skystalker hopped behind him, dodging the blasts that Starscream struggled to point at him with the pole in the way. The Predacon jumped back and got another cord, freshly binding Starscream's fighting wrists back to the pole.

Starscream gashed the cord the moment it was around him, shrieking and hollering both threats and pleas. Skystalker took the time to circle Comet as he sobbed and struggled. Starscream wouldn't be able to release himself fast enough to stop him, though he frantically tried. Starscream watched from afar, blurring out Azure as she dug her bloody muzzle into Sunchaser's chest.

"He is young, is he not?" Skystalker tapped a quivering wing. To Comet, he asked, "How old are you?"

Comet mewled in response, and Starscream shrieked across the way, "He is innocent! Leave him!"

Skystalker slashed a quick cut on Comet's cheek and tasted the drop of energon stuck on his claw. "How old are you?"

He raked his claws up one of his wings to its tip. Past the screeching of metal, Comet screeched, "Five! Five!"

Skystalker transformed, chuckling now through growls. Behind his back, he bit deep into Comet's wing and pulled. The Seeker wailed, then screeched when in one harsh twist, the wing snapped clean off his back.

It dropped and Comet swayed, queasy and about to faint from it all. But then, Skystalker transformed and sucked the remaining blood off his claws. He untied the Seeker, gathered the wing, and dragged Comet toward Starscream. Skystalker's eyes were as cruel and sharp as ever as he dropped Comet at his feet then undid Starscream's binds.

"I don't really care how young you are." Skystalker watched Comet burrow into Starscream's arms. "Primus will make more of you no matter how many we kill. But he gets to live only because you will learn a lesson today. _We_ are the deciders of life and death. We control _everything_."

Starscream wobbled to his feet, the smaller Seeker still pressed into him while he held his own wing.

"You will get escorted out," Skystalker muttered. "But if you _dare_ tell any Predacon about what happened, about who killed precious _Sunchaser_ , then you will pay dearly, Starscream. Your spark is weak now. So say a word, and I will kill one of your friends. It is easy to figure out who they are. Did you not rush off to… _Knockout_ after your return to Cybertron?"

Cold fury washed over Starscream's face. "If you go near him, I will kill you."

"You already want to kill me. Your threats mean nothing to me. Besides, the Decepticons will go after him _for_ me. They will know where he lives."

With a sharp cry, Starscream sprang. Comet was dropped as Starscream leapt and swiped his claws across Skystalker's throat. They pierced through his armour, slicing into an inner tubes. Skystalker tripped back clutching his squirting neck, but Starscream came at him again. Just in that moment, he forgot all caution and could only feel his wrath. The general hollered as four claw marks scored his face diagonally from the top down to the bottom of his mask.

Before Starscream could tear into him again, Azure slammed Starscream to the ground under her claws. Sunchaser's arm dropped from her jaws when she opened her mouth over him. Her growl boomed like thunder above, and droplets of the Seeker's blood splattered onto Starscream's rage-twisted face. Skystalker bled and squinted, bellowing past Azure, "Give him to me!"

The moment she pulled back, Skystalker was upon him. He kicked and stomped Starscream where he lay, then snatched him and hurled him over the line of T-poles into the far wall. The Predacon rushed after his body, belting out more kicks that pushed him across the silver and red-striped floor.

Starscream did not react for the sole reason that Comet was still alive. There was a murderous rage within him, but he remembered again that if he fought, Skystalker could change his mind about sparing the young Seeker. Starscream groaned and started to stand, but the Predacon stepped on him, kicked him, then loomed over him.

Skystalker face and neck dripped energon as he flared his compressed wings.

"Mistake!" Skystalker hissed. "Knockout dies. I will just find someone else to add to the list after him!"

Starscream trembled, barely restraining himself. He turned his head to glare at the Predacon, pushing himself up with one arm. To lift a claw against him again was a guarantee of Comet's death, yet Starscream would still not break under Skystalker.

"Stay down!" the Predacon shrieked. "You idiot Seeker! Hasn't Megatron taught you better?"

He seized Starscream's throat in his massive grip. Skystalker rushed him back to the blood-smeared wall then slammed him against it with each exclamation.

"You are weak! Nothing! No one likes you, you tiresome wretch! I'd kill you now if I didn't need you!"

Skystalker grunted and dropped Starscream.

"Is that how Megatron did it?" he puffed. "I'm sure he enjoyed it as much as I did. You are so pathetic and abusable. Now get out of my sight before we eat your other friend!"

Starscream came to his feet at once, and the very act of it slapped surprise onto Skystalker's face. It seemed that he hadn't struck a single blow upon him. He should have been half-dead, and yet, Starscream bled out from plentiful cuts and dents, and the amount of hatred and power in his eyes was nearly indescribable. It was as though the very light of Starscream's spark was flaming in them.

Skystalker shifted a foot back, frightened in that moment. He recalled suddenly that he had seen Starscream die before him. Staring at that Seeker, he began to wonder if he was even alive, or if he was a supernatural, indestructible being. But then Comet jumped to Starscream, hugging him and silently begging for him to stop. The moment of fear ended when Starscream slung a supportive arm around the wounded Seeker, then turned and limped to the exit.

Yes, Starscream was in pain like any other bot. Skystalker followed them step-for-step until they got outside, cursing the fear he had briefly felt. Did Starscream not rip open and bleed like anyone else? He looked at how skinny and delicate he looked in front of him, and how easy it had been to throw him. Surely, Skystalker imagined, that Starscream would never return if he ate him then melted his remains.

In front of the building, the Predacons from before had waited. Skystalker pointed at two of them.

"Take them to the border by Vos. Do not harm them."

The Predacons grabbed the Seekers in their claws.

Then, he addressed the curious group of Decepticon Seekers who had followed them to the building. Among them, Starscream spotted Slipstream. Her face was open with grief and horror at the sight of his blood-soaked body and the other Seeker holding his own severed wing. There was also a clear absence of the third one she had noted.

"You, fliers," Skystalker said. "Find Knockout and kill him."

Starscream jerked in the Predacon's claws and hissed, "I vow that I will kill the ones who harm him. I will remember each and every one of your faces!"

Slipstream twitched and stared at Starscream. The other Decepticon Seekers blinked in confusion at the command. Knockout was known to them, but they could not see why Skystalker wanted the death of a former Decepticon medic. They also hesitated, leaning away from the Predacon general. These Seekers flickered their eyes over Starscream and Comet and the spot where the third Seeker should have been. Something was becoming clear to them, but then a glare from Skystalker sent them skittering on their way.

Slipstream turned her face away then jetted off with four others. Shocked, Starscream screamed dark threats at her receding form, all in vain. They were gone, and then the Predacons flew in another direction, carrying their loads to the border as commanded.

* * *

The moment Starscream was left on the ground outside of the deadzone, he was screaming for a groundbridge to the coordinates of Knockout's studio in Iacon. Comet took care of himself, requesting to be taken to Vos and to the hospital. He wasn't going to halt Starscream, not when his worry had spiked to extreme heights.

Starscream had felt those hours in his spark, and he could not think of anything else at that time. He landed in a street still dark by the night from the lag in timezones. The door, torn apart by force, had fallen to pieces at the threshold. Starscream barged in, seeing that the Decepticons had left a liberal trail of destruction, taking joy in blasting apart Knockout's fine art in the lobby and hall.

"Knockout!" Starscream hollered.

He flexed his claws when he heard footsteps approaching. It was just one pair, and not heavy. Starscream hesitated, questioning if he really heard the familiar footsteps he wanted to hear. But then, Knockout popped out around the corner.

There was not a scratch on him. Starscream gasped and charged him, hugging him so tightly that Knockout yelped.

"Whoa, whoa- calm down, I'm _fine_."

Starscream was silent.

"And watch the claws!" Knockout protested. At that, Starscream mumbled an apology and drew them back, but he kept hold of Knockout.

"Primus, what happened to you?" Knockout rolled his gaze over his battered frame, and tried to pull back as his energon stuck to him.

"It doesn't matter right now," he muttered, refusing to let go. "You're alive…"

"Yeah, so it seems that some of your _friends_ showed up. But they could not have chosen any worse time to do so."

Knockout moved back to walk, so Starscream let him go and followed. He led Starscream to the main room where he did the body detailing. In this room, stood Megatron, Shockwave, and Soundwave with Laserbeak. Four Seekers had been beaten unconscious and were chained to each other in pairs, back-to-back. All were there except Slipstream, who stood beside Megatron.

"Starscream!" She hopped up to him and look over his body. "I am so, so sorry…"

Starscream narrowed his eyes and stepped back from her.

"I swear that I never knew about any of the bad things they were going to do to you…" she murmured. "I didn't…"

"What, so you feel something now?" he uttered. "You and I just fought joors ago, and you called me a traitor."

She bowed her head. "I know…"

" _So_?"

"My emotions got the better of me, but really you got to believe me…" Slipstream sighed heavily. "Look, I'm still sorting out my feelings about Decepticons, Autobots, Predacons… I don't think I can honestly say we are even on the same side. Just know that I really couldn't bear seeing you hurt like that and so upset…"

The teal and purple Seeker glanced back.

"No matter what side you and I are on, I'm not going to let you suffer. I flew ahead to warn them about your friend."

Starscream's shoulders remained stiff, and the ice in his spark refused to melt.

Slipstream laughed nervously, "Yeah, I know. We weren't the best of pals in the past, but you and the other lieutenants _were_ my past. Maybe this is just the sentiment from me being the last, you being alive… And I just found you, you know? I want to…"

Slipstream broke off in embarrassment. She felt like a hypocrite, and that everyone was judging her like she was one. She glanced at Megatron, who somehow felt like Optimus. She felt surrounded by judgemental Autobots who could not comprehend the complexity of her allegiances.

"Ach, you're leaking everywhere!" She scrunched up her face, trying to move the attention off herself. "You'll need to be fixed up."

Knockout pushed himself in. "Allow me to take care of that."

"Aren't you busy?" Slipstream argued, trying to sound casual and mild. "You're doing some fancy additions over there. I can handle this! I had to live on Junkion for a while, you know, and I learned a lot about fixing what's broken."

Starscream could see that Knockout had been in the middle of disguising Megatron. At Starscream's arrival, Megatron had momentarily gotten up from the berth. Knockout wasn't taking off his plating, but was instead adding temporary armour over him. One of Megatron's arms was already blue and smooth, scuffed from the fight with the Seekers. Although he was looking bulkier, Knockout was making it look natural.

"So where are your supplies, Doc?" she laughed.

"Fine, fine. Follow me." Knockout stalked ahead, shoving shards of a vase away with his foot.

The medical room was free now that Laserbeak was well enough to rest with Soundwave. Starscream lay down onto the berth Laserbeak had previously occupied, sighed, and scrunched up his face in pain.

"This'll be fun," Slipstream tittered. "I've never been free to poke at your body before."

Slipstream wheeled over a cart of tools and sat right on the berth beside him. She leaned over him, pulling up his dents, which he hissed at in pain each time.

"Whoops," she breathed. "Maybe a little something for the pain, right?"

The lithe Seeker sped off, throwing open cabinets. Starscream glared after her, able to pick out his own scratches still visible on her body.

"You said that Seekers are strongest together," he uttered.

"Yes?"

Starscream snapped, "Do you not care then?"

Slipstream jolted and peered back. "What? About what?"

He could not help but lose his patience. "There was a Seeker caged right beside you in that centre, intended to be prey to Predaking! You cared not, recharging in his proximity! Then, those savage Predacons slaughtered one of my own tonight while he was helpless, then tortured the other!"

Slipstream leaned back, shocked again by his tone and the way his voice broke. She couldn't sort through her feelings to think of what to say.

He only went on, "You serve beasts that despise our kind, who think of us as inferior, as pests and meals! And they intend to kill more Seekers, all the innocent lives of this planet! How dare you act for me now, when you have done absolutely nothing before?"

Slipstream's wings were back, stressed and tight. She quivered, looking quickly at him and away. Finally, she gasped out with her own voice cracking, "I… They're Au...tobots."

" _I_ am an Autobot," he hissed. "And if you cared about me in the slightest, that would matter. You would want to protect all of my friends. What then, did you save Knockout only because he had been a Decepticon? Was that enough to make you _do_ something this time?"

Slipstream held her arms and shook her body like the shake of a head. Her distraught expression gave Starscream pleasure in his pain, and he had enjoyed having a target to distract him from his mourning.

She moaned, but softly, "I didn't think like that… I told you, I'm thinking and wondering… Please believe me when I say I don't want you to be hurt! I just… I want you to be a Decepticon too. If you were one…"

Slipstream squeezed her eyes shut.

"If you had just come with me back then!" she cried. "Oh, none of this would have happened! We'd be together. And we had another chance, but you betrayed us! You didn't want to be a Decepticon like me, and you had to be so…"

"Those Seekers would still be killed," Starscream growled, ignoring her suffering. "Everyone will be killed! You care nothing for anyone else!"

"Why should I?" she snapped. "Autobots! Autobots don't give a slag about me! They hate me, any Decepticon! They just sling us into prison, and rule this planet! I can't stand that they're in charge, those killers of comrades! I followed the other Seekers into the Decepticon army. I was loyal to it with all of my very spark, and so what? For wanting change, justice for those that suffered slavery, for loving my comrades- great shame upon me it is! Just because I don't regret my choice makes me a bad bot who will never be welcome on her own world. All we want is a home for _us_ , the Decepticons, the downtrodden, abused, and corrupted sparks! We won't leave- Cybertron is our home! No one has the right to deny us that!"

Starscream felt the heat of his sudden anger cool. Slipstream whirled away, searching the cabinets to hide the beads of lubricant in her eyes. She swiped her face quickly, then found the painkiller.

As she filled it into a syringe, Starscream softened his voice and said, "It isn't true. You can still live on this world. You don't even have to regret your actions…"

Slipstream walked back to him, and started injecting the painkiller into him. "No, _that's_ not true," she murmured. "They'd probably disguise me, like they did you. That's not accepting or welcoming me. You only get to live here 'cause everyone thinks you're this talented, innocent Newspark. They'd blast you if they knew you were Starscream."

"They will know soon enough," Starscream uttered.

"Are you serious?" Slipstream breathed. "Oh, that must be why Skystalker…"

"It will be alright."

"Oh Starscream…"

"Slipstream, you could be yourself and a Seeker too. Everyone would forget their hate over time. Do you honestly want to share a world with those carnivorous beasts? Wouldn't you rather live in a prosperous world with all the comforts and pleasures?"

Slipstream dragged a tool into her hand, and began working on repairing his cuts first. He was numb all over, hardly feeling it.

"I know…" she whispered. "That's what I want more than anything, but it didn't seem possible…"

"It is. I swear that it is."

"But I can't just become an Autobot… It's so hard. It feels so wrong! And there's this ache inside… a hollowness. I want to avenge those I lost."

"Revenge is good for nothing."

Even as he said that, he wanted to kill Skystalker and Azure. Yet there had been something about Sunchaser's words before that had appealed to him. They needed to be stopped by whatever means necessary, and it did not have to be revenge. _Justice_ , Sunchaser had said… That would satisfy Starscream, and it aligned with the Autobot morals he was expected to have.

Slipstream frowned at him.

Starscream went on, "I constantly remember that without the Autobots' mercy, I wouldn't have this life. Imagine, how I would be suffering if they had taken their revenge upon me. Why hate and harm if it prevents the flourishing of good? That is why Megatron has been forgiven, along with Shockwave and Soundwave. If you committed yourself to do good, then you would pass your Trial as Megatron did, thus being free."

He was piercing her spark with regret, putting her allegiance into more doubt than before. She was atremble again, and needed to put down her tool.

Starscream added, "Also, most bots on this planet have nothing to do with the War. Is it really revenge, Slipstream, to slaughter innocent Newsparks? They only shun you and wish for you to be imprisoned, because they are scared of being hurt by you."

The pain was too much as she thought about the caged Seeker, the injured Seeker, and the dead Seeker- all of Starscream's friends that had been harmed by her faction. Slipstream sat on the side of the berth, curling up on herself. Starscream sat up.

"O-oh...hh…" she whimpered. "You are right, you are right… I don't want that world with the Predacons. I want a life like yours, and those Seekers'… I...I could be their comrade too. And you care about them don't you? S-so much… You're so brave… You c-cried out, you were so emotional when you came out of that building… I'm, I'm so s-sorry! We've killed s-someo-one cl-close to y-..."

Slipstream clung to him, initiating the embrace. At once, their wings fell as low as they could as they shifted closer. Starscream grasped her, shivering with her as they fell into their own depths of sorrow. For so long, they couldn't clear their minds or throats to say anything. All they could do was suffer together, care dearly for each other, and enjoy their togetherness after such a long period of division.

Knockout stepped into the room at some point to check on how Slipstream was doing with Starscream. He saw them, then left silently. He had brought Slipstream back to the present, and after he had gone, she cleared her throat softly. With a weak chuckle, she tenderly joked, "Look at us, what are we doing? You've never hugged me before… Now you're getting your tears all over me."

"Likewise," he murmured.

"I'll be an Autobot, Screamy," she exhaled. "I want to be with you. And I want to protect all your friends, and fight with you. Okay?"

Slipstream pulled him tight against her and stroked his wings.

"Seekers or not…" she whispered.

He could not now express his thanks verbally. He rested his head against her shoulder, until she lay him back down and continued working on his injuries.

"Tell me about your friends then," she murmured.

Slipstream felt guilty when woe struck his features again. She realized instantly that more than one had died, and he hadn't been freely thinking about it to spare himself the anguish. Now, considering them all at once, Starscream crumpled.

She stopped to hug him again, but he stayed in her arms for only so long before he murmured, "Don't stop."

He lay down again to be treated. Slipstream frowned and bent over him, to do as he wanted.

"I will tell you," he breathed. "I want you to know how I lived this life. You should understand…"

Slipstream listened in silence, as he told her about each friend he had made and their ultimate fates. She was finished before he was done speaking, so then she held him again, until the end.

"Let's pop back now," she eventually said. "See Megatron's outfit, if the Seekers are up…"

"I have to report everything," Starscream uttered.

But since he wanted the others to hear what had happened, he let Slipstream help him up. Together, they slowly meandered back to the main room.

Only Megatron's torso and arms were covered with lightly detailed, blue plating by the time the Seekers returned. The four other Decepticons were coming to, groaning from the punches the trio had dealt them to protect Knockout.

"Starscream," Knockout paused. "You should go rest. I recommend a nice, hot oil bath in the back."

"I wanted to explain all that just happened first," Starscream murmured.

He called Arcee, who would have been shocked by the disappearance of the Seekers, and he added Jetfire to the commlink as well. To all, he explained the trap Skystalker had set after discovering their spy, Flutter, and perhaps the other spies. Shockwave's and Megatron's clones could be in danger. Everything that he saw was mentioned, including the Decepticons, Predaking, and Charred Mist. Finally, he got to the grit of it, explaining the worst to happen.

"They will use me as a distraction," Starscream exhaled. "So I beg of you, do not let it work. Be ready for the army to increase. Work swiftly to destroy the deadzone and save my Seeker and Predaking."

Jetfire breathed, "No, Starscream…"

"I have no choice. I have to reveal my own identity before Skystalker does. I need you beside me to defend me."

"Now is not a good time," Jetfire said. "There is a craze now that everyone knows what happened to Predaking and Charred Mist. They are also energized from our success in capturing the Forged. Sunchaser's death will make it all worse. They are driven by emotions and all want to act, so if you were to reveal yourself… more than one would brand you as an enemy on the spot."

The Seekers had started to hear what was going on and to understand. A few insults were thrown his way with some laughter about the situation. Slipstream came forward to retort, but then their anger was redirected onto her. There was yelling and foul language in the background as Starscream sighed, "Either I explain myself, or everyone thinks I'm trying to take over the Air Command."

"It is necessary then…" Jetfire murmured. "I am sorry, Starscream. I will do everything in my power to protect you."

"We have to do this as soon as possible," Starscream stressed.

"I know, I know… But rest a bit, Starscream. Vos is not ready for this. I also don't think they will release that video just yet, but even if they beat us to it, I promise that we will work it out. Even if you have to hide for a short while, I, Optimus, and everyone will vouch for you."

He felt much more relieved after hearing the steady sureness of Jetfire's voice.

Arcee said, "Knockout will have to be relocated immediately. He can finish disguising them elsewhere."

The Seekers were still squabbling in the back. So she concluded, "We'll apprehend those Decepticons as well."

He thanked them and left it at that. Knockout swept around him, taking him now to get cleaned and warmed. Slipstream noticed them departing right away, thus left her argument to follow them. Though she didn't say anything else now, instead choosing to stand silent beside Starscream as they watched the oil rise in the tub. Then, when he stepped in, she did as well, merely to keep him company after Knockout had left.


	40. Chapter 39: Run, Pariah

They had decided that Knockout would be relocated. When Starscream limped back, he found that the other Seekers had been taken away, and that some High Council members were already carrying Knockout's supplies through a groundbridge portal. He was meant to go to the underground city, New Spark, so in the meantime, Knockout was packing the things he could not be without.

Slipstream announced that she would fly back to the Predacons and report that all except her had been arrested. Skystalker presumably already believed that Megatron was a traitor, and she would seem genuine if she explained that Megatron had been there to stop the assassination of Knockout.

"One tip," Slipstream said before leaving. "I don't get mistaken for an Autobot Seeker since I fly very high and act confident. It keeps any Predacon from blasting me with fire. They just fly up when they hear me roaring and check that I got these Decepticon symbols on my wings. Just so you know."

The idea she hinted at was terrible. Starscream shook his head.

"Oh, another thing before I leave. You know there's about one-hundred Decepticons in that town's centre? There's about twenty who have the upgrade. There are even more in the other bases. They messed with their bodies like the Forged did and can change into whatever they want. Sometimes they'll turn into Predacons and creep around the borders. They'll even disguise themselves as piles of rubble, to spy. Look out for them."

"Another thing to bear in mind," Starscream replied. "Thank you."

Slipstream patted his shoulder. "Farewell, 'Scream. Be careful and don't die."

"The same to you."

"See you later then, okay?"

The teal and purple Seeker then padded away to show herself the exit.

Knockout stuffed a cup of energon into Starscream's hand. Surprised, he looked to it as Knockout explained, "I bet that she didn't properly refuel you when she was repairing you. You look exhausted, so have this, but don't drink it too fast. It's potent."

"It's alcohol."

"The doctor says it's fine."

Starscream wearily followed him with the cup, watching him cram trinkets and fill more than one box.

"Do you really need all that?" Starscream sipped at the drink and detected the faintest flavour of red energon.

"I don't want there to be a single thing I'll miss if I have to be away from home for a while!"

Knockout had taken all his beauty supplies, filling one container alone with just waxes and paints that Starscream was not at all familiar with. Technology such as his standard buffer took up more boxes as well, but Knockout was far from done. He started grabbing many small carvings and statues along the way.

"Okay, you do not need _those_."

"Well, I don't want any scruffy Decepticon coming in here and breaking or stealing them!"

Starscream finished the drink, feeling some energy returning after all the blood he had lost. Knockout refilled the cup with the pricey beverage, then packed the bottle as well.

"We may be pressed for time," Starscream said.

"Relax, I have more protection now than before," Knockout replied. He glanced back at the impatient High Council members who had finished clearing out his storage room: Bulkhead, Jazz, and Windblade. The others had already left to wait in Newspark, rather than wait here for Knockout.

Knockout's feet crunched as he walked behind the front desk. His expression was at once relieved when he saw that the drawers had survived the abuse upon the lobby by the Decepticons. Knockout set down his current box and drew open the top drawer. Starscream stepped over the broken chair, unexpecting to see more creams or perhaps a mirror.

Instead, Knockout snagged a slab that had been carved and carefully painted. He turned the art piece in his hands, quickly checking it for any damage. First Starscream glimpsed blue around orange, then realized that it was an image of Breakdown. He glanced away as Knockout stored it, feeling like he had intruded upon something.

At last, Knockout was ready to go through the groundbridge portal. First, Knockout clarified with Bulkhead, "Someone shall repair this damage, correct? I don't want strange bots strolling into the place and taking whatever they please."

A bit miffed, Bulkhead answered, "Er-uh, of course. We wouldn't leave it like this."

Knockout said his goodbye to Starscream, then, it was time for Starscream to figure out where to place himself. His pulse was quick as he considered the video, which must have been trimmed by now. He was far from ready to expose himself, and he hadn't imagined that he would ever need to. He was terrified at the idea that he would not be able to safely walk in any street afterwards, when someone might stab or shoot him at any given time.

Bulkhead and Jazz stayed with Starscream until he had decided what to do. Frightened and thinking a bit slowly, he called Jetfire and hoped to be told what to do.

"Calm down," Jetfire soon advised him. "Whether you beat Skystalker to saying it or not, everything will be fine. I told you already. Now listen, I think we're going to make a move soon. I just heard from Ultra Magnus that the Predacon lieutenant we captured knows where their shielding technology is."

Jetfire tried to interrupt him, expecting that Starscream would protest and try to get in on the action.

"You're injured and-"

"I wasn't going to say that. I just wanted to share some information revealed by Slipstream…"

Starscream told him quickly. Still, Jetfire stressed after, "Don't you dare try to fight in this battle. It will be dangerous. So no matter what lust for revenge you feel or how much your ego wants to be the centre of everything… We don't need you to win, alright? Stay somewhere safe and rest your body."

He knew Jetfire wasn't trying to be harsh, but his point had to be made. Starscream sighed. Then, Jetfire added, "If you need something to do, go comfort your friend in Vos. In fact, take this as a command: stay with the young one and lay low until my next command. I will have a portal opened for you shortly."

It took about a minute before it opened up in Knockout's studio. Starscream didn't have a choice but to go through it. When he stepped into Vos, he could not help but be intimidated by his hometown. The city was packed with armed soldiers who, at this moment in time, were very aggressive to Predacons and Decepticons. They zipped about overhead and walked the streets, surrounding him and pinning him between the tall buildings. Afraid of the open, he slunk to a quieter spot beside a building.

Then instead of disturbing Comet directly through the commlink, he called Cloudtips.

"Where is Comet now?" he asked.

Cloudtips had been sleeping after his long night patrol. He slurred, "What about him?"

"Never mind then," Starscream murmured.

He called Soft Breeze.

"I haven't heard from him since early yesterday," he replied. "Why?"

It became clear to Starscream that no one was aware of what had happened in the Predacon territory. No one knew that the Predacon leaders had harmed Comet and killed Sunchaser, likely because Jetfire hadn't wanted the Seekers of the Air Command to fall into a revenge craze.

Starscream went to the hospital in Vos and inquired there. Still considered the ever popular Moonwing, he was quickly sent to Comet by a nurse. The small Seeker was found lying on his side, his eyes open as he was unable to rest. His wing had been reattached, welded together expertly. Yet numbed from the pain, Comet was left with only his horror now.

As Starscream approached him, he feared that he might cry out his name now that he knew it. The black and red Seeker gasped when he saw him, but he did not yell his name or cower. His gasp had only been one of relief and sorrow. Comet looked over Starscream's repaired body, then he whispered, "Are you okay?"

"I came to ask you that very question. But I am still in one piece, as are you…"

Comet sat up, all his wings pointed down. He quivered and nodded to his words. Starscream stepped closer, then Comet suddenly announced, "I want to go home."

The nurse murmured, "You may stay here longer if you wish."

His tone insisted that Comet should stay, but the Seeker's voice became strained. "My wing is _fine_ now. I want to go home!"

It was one of those outbursts that seemed like unjustified anger, but it was only the snapping when one was on the verge of crying. Thankfully, the nurse understood and did not take personal offense. He murmured, "Alright now, easy. It will be alright for you to go home as long as you mean to stay in Vos… and don't transform until we say you can. Take some pain medication with you as well."

The young Seeker calmed when he got what he wanted. He clutched the medication when given it, then stayed close to Starscream as they walked to his apartment. Upon entering, Comet strode to his couch. He sat on it, brought up his legs, and hugged them. A doleful gaze was sent Starscream's way, and Comet relaxed once he sat beside him. He was quite surprised by how quickly Comet broke down, burrowing into him and whimpering. The small Seeker had no words for now, but could only emit pained sounds.

Starscream could only feel awful- guilty and scared, for he had brought Comet nearly to his death. He knew that Skystalker had wanted him to feel thankful even, which frustrated him. Skystalker and Azure had such power, and although Comet was whole now, he could have been disemboweled like Sunchaser.

Comet knew that too, but if only he didn't. For someone so young, Starscream wished that Comet wasn't in the military at all. He thought that there should be rules forbidding anyone from becoming a Seeker until they were much older, so that at least they would have more than a few years of life. It was cruel that the world had needed an air force so desperately, that new lives had to replace the army lost in the War. But all of his team, Aceflight, Cloudtips, Twilight, Soft Breeze, Comet, and Charred Mist had been so _proud_ to have been selected for a program to get them in faster. So ignorant to what would come: two dead, soon three perhaps, and one traumatized.

Starscream turned on the television on the wall across from them. Comet flinched at the noise then watched Starscream search for something to put on. There was a channel that played Earth cartoons and animated movies, and when they reached it, Comet murmured, "Stop…"

He was not embarrassed to admit how he liked such shows. They left it on for background noise, and for something for Comet to peer at between his shaking and sobbing sessions. After a time, Comet exhausted himself. When he fell asleep, Starscream easily picked him up and deposited him on his berth. Then, Starscream found himself so absolutely tired that he lay across the couch with legs curled, and fell asleep as well.

Starscream did not know what time it was when he heard a timid murmur. It was Comet trying to figure out how to address him.

"Ah, er… M-Star…"

"What time is it?" Starscream mumbled and sat up.

Comet shrugged weakly and looked out the window. It seemed to only be the early evening. Comet turned on the television then sat back on the couch beside him, a blanket still draped over his wings. He leaned against Starscream, silently absorbing comfort from him as he flipped through the channels.

Starscream stopped him, asking, "Can you check the news?"

Comet went there. Starscream nervously watched for a few minutes, but nothing about him came up.

"Alright," he sighed.

Comet wanted to continue watching the channel they had been before, and they sat through a family movie without Comet breaking down in any way. Only a little bit later did he feel his terror and sadness again, and he hugged Starscream tightly.

Eventually, Starscream asked him if he wanted to see Cloudtips and Soft Breeze.

"N...no one knows about Sunchaser, do they?"

"It hasn't been announced yet, although you could tell them."

"I don't want to," Comet choked.

"Then I can, before they see you. Do you want them to come over?"

He conceded with a nod. Starscream left to find them, inform them, then bring them back. He did not say much more than Sunchaser's death and Comet's injury.

Cloudtips was the first to hold him, his own eyes wide with grief. Soft Breeze walked ahead of Starscream, breathing, "How many must we lose?"

Like easing a terrified animal, Soft Breeze stroked his head with his massive hand. The new guests sat on either side of Comet, so Starscream chose to stand at the side of the couch. The television stayed on, and everyone watched it without speaking much. Then when night fell, there was a commotion outside. Immediately, Starscream was struck with fear at the sounds of yelling and jets flying. But Cloudtips peered out the window, then commented, "It looks an army is being collected."

"To attack?" Soft Breeze asked. "And how many?"

"I can't really see from here, but there are many. And I presume that there will some sort of battle."

Cloudtips opened the door to the balcony and peered to the right. Soft Breeze called, "Is Jetfire there?"

"The angle is too bad. I will head down and find out what is transpiring."

Cloudtips jumped off the building. Soft Breeze said to Starscream, "I guess the news wouldn't tell, would it?"

They switched the channel regardless. There was no talk of a battle to come.

"They are mobilizing swiftly," Starscream said. "I believe this means one thing: they are preparing to take down some or all of their shielding."

Comet perked up as though departing a reverie. "Is this it? Will they end it?"

Starscream felt hopeful enough to say, "They are bringing in their most powerful weapons. Optimus himself will have the Star Saber."

Comet's eyes glowed with joy. "Oh, no one could stand up to that! He'll cut through them himself!"

"So they'll have the Apex Armour, the Phase Shifter, the…" Soft Breeze started listing off all the relics he could think of.

"And an army on top of that!" Comet cried. "Those Predacons are going to regret fighting us. Oh, once that shielding is down, they'll save Charred Mist!"

He trilled and grabbed Soft Breeze. Minutes later, Cloudtips returned.

"They're going in heavy, to the Predacon territory," he confirmed. "No Newsparks there. Just an army of veterans. Jetfire's leading the bunch and Silverbolt is there. All the Aerialbots are there, in fact. They may be planning on combining!"

"Who is in charge of Vos?" Starscream asked, both excited and afraid.

Cloudtips shrugged. "I am sure you will find out soon."

But he did not. Jetfire was smart enough to know that things would be awful if he left Starscream in charge, if his identity was revealed during that time with the video. The four continued watching the news, which also revealed nothing. Starscream assumed then that the power was just temporarily shared among some veterans in the main command tower. So Starscream remained among his Seekers, far from the battle and therefore incredibly anxious to know what was happening.

They watched with impatience, jittery and waiting for the battle to begin. Some news drones would surely try to zip in and record the conflict. It was all hush-hush, no forewarning of where they would strike. Just at once, the news anchors were in a hysteria after the break. The Seekers jumped, alongside the rest of the planet who were watching.

At one of the corners of the Predacon territory, the night was filled with blasts and fire. The viewers were so surprised that they blinked rapidly as though the light wounded their eyes. Seekers were roaring, illuminated by the constant streaks of fire that the Predacons aimed at them. Trim shapes and beastly shapes flickered in the sky, and the ground was in equal chaos. But those watching began to make sense of it when they saw a beautiful, bright blue.

Like a beacon of hope, the Star Saber twirled and flung powerful curves of energy into the forefront of a Predacon army. The drone was already zooming in on Optimus who stayed in a tight line with the relic-bearers. It was a most awe-inspiring and terrifying sight. There were such incredible weapons in their hands, and yet there was a horrifying wave of beasts incoming on the horizon.

Comet cried, "Optimus Prime! Oh, thank Primus!"

The Predacons were trying to tighten around the relic-users to surround and overwhelm them. There was a ghost running about- Smokescreen, who was using the Phase Shifter and pressing bombs onto Predacons. He dashed by as Optimus swung his sword and struck a Predacon in the neck. A huge, blue bot curved around him, flowing with Optimus' movements. Starscream was alone in the knowledge that this was Megatron, pinned almost back-to-back with Optimus. His face was covered by a mask, but Starscream could recognize the raw ferocity of his fighting style anywhere.

The massive foot of a combiner carefully placed itself down as to not crush allies. Predacons scattered, some wounded by Superion- the Aerialbots, as they moved forward as one. The combiner became the next focus of the news camera drone as he targeted a specific spot in the ground. It was struck by his missiles, forcing the Predacons to redirect their attention upon him. They needed to protect their shielding more than committing to a slaughter. Ten Predacons launched at the combiner, clinging and snapping until Superion crumbled in a panic, the five Seekers fleeing and bloody.

When they vanished into the fight, dread entered the hearts of those watching. The Predacons organized themselves, collecting into scores and advancing by the hundreds. A wider shot suddenly confirmed that the full size of the army was obscured by darkness. Then, in a close-up of a group, all could see that there was white armour upon their faces and joints. Seekers dove and tried to shoot their weak points, but found that they were unable to. They had already run out of their powerful heat seekers and were vainly shooting their nullrays.

Comet quaked with disbelief. "Wh-what is happening?"

Even more Predacons were incoming, marching and flying while firing at the enemy. Those not protected by relics or extra armour fell back to escape injury.

"Are, are we _losing_?" Comet shrieked.

They could see through some shots that Optimus was glancing around at the predicament of the others. The armoured Predacons stretched out so far across the plain and sky that most could not get in on the action. There were perhaps five-hundred there, meaning that the number of surface Predacons must have had swelled since their last estimate of one-thousand.

"Primus," Cloudtips choked.

Something was approaching in the moonlight. From the distance, the shadow was hard to make out. But it was a massive monster larger than ten Predacons, crawling forward at the back of the ranks. Comet and Soft Breeze latched onto each other and wailed in horror.

"Wh-what is that?" Soft Breeze cried.

No one on the ground was enthusiastic to meet the shadow, a beast many times larger than Superion. Optimus suddenly roared out a retreat, though none of the watchers could hear it. They just saw the effect of his command after it was repeated by the other leaders. Their army scrambled backwards, shooting and slashing for their lives. They had to make it out of the deadzone to escape into portals, although some Predacons tried to bar their path. The Seekers dive-bombed them, fighting savagely to guarantee the escape of their comrades.

"What was that thing?" Comet echoed Soft Breeze's exclamation.

The Seekers gave the others the room to retreat, flying away instead. No Predacon could catch them, but they stopped at the edge, twitching with bloodlust. The Autobots had struck so fast and fiercely; there were no bodies they could tear hungrily into. Predacon heads lifted and noticed the buzzing drones. Quick barrages of fire destroyed a few, but the camera they were looking through now zoomed out rapidly.

This drone and a few others stayed to watch what the Predacons would do next. They crawled around the area, curling their claws and waiting for commands. A blue Predacon in armour transformed among them, and started barking out something. Skystalker checked the place where Superion had blasted, then turned as a two-headed red Predacon dropped beside him, transforming then gasping something.

They saw Skystalker's terror even at this distance. Starscream's spark perked in curiosity. No, it wasn't over yet. Skystalker transformed and screeched so horribly that the message was clear without true words.

" _Retreat! Retreat!_ "

The army took to the air or bounded away across the ground. However, a red glow had already begun to taint the air, intensifying in brightness each second. The horde hurried toward their territory, but Skystalker twisted in the air and rushed in the opposite direction. Even the camera drone whistled backwards, the bot controlling it also understanding what was about to happen. Starscream's mouth opened as the light grew starker, and the red haze bled into all the clouds.

Vos had once been decimated by a plasma laser, where not even bodies had been left behind. Starscream knew no weapon on Cybertron more powerful and terrifying than the laser in control of the Intergalactic Space Station. It had only been meant for planetary defense, never once used in the years since it was built. And now, now… Starscream and Cybertron stared, still with shock and even fear as it came down upon their planet and their enemies.

The mass of Predacons were already wailing in terror, and then, there was only red and a deafening hum. The drone melted, then the footage sizzled to black.

The Seekers were gaping. The news anchors were, as well, gaping when they reappeared. It took a moment before everyone could fathom what had happened. Then, happily lacking professionalism, the anchors jumped up with raised fists and roared in victory.

Finally, the four Seekers whooped in elation. Comet broke from his sorrow and shrieked happily, skipping and dancing on the couch. The festivity only cooled when a new drone buzzed in. Now they saw that where an army had stood, there was now nothing but a pool of molten metal, or rather, an ocean that stretched into the territory. Only when the drone zipped to the edges of the blast, could they see half bodies of Predacons with outstretched arms, half melted.

Comet cackled while Soft Breeze and Cloudtips grinned. Starscream sank in relief, yet also wondered what had become of Skystalker. He had been the only one to head away from the territory, not deeper into it. So had he escaped the laser's path and the full heat? And had they struck the hulking giant they had seen?

 _It had been a Predacon combiner of some sort_ , Starscream shivered. _And no one had known about it until now._

Starscream's spark sang with joy, yet he was still shocked. He could hardly believe that the Autobots had agreed upon such a murderous plan. They had lured so many Predacons into one spot, then had fired a super weapon at them to kill hundreds instantly. Starscream could only imagine that Skystalker had considered his enemy too soft for this, that they were incapable of such deception and slaughter.

 _Though I had heard that the Autobots used the spark extractor on us. When it comes down to it…_

Starscream could not help but be proud that they had committed. And Megatron, who had gladly taken part, must also have been satisfied by the plan.

 _It was them or us._

* * *

Seekers had rejoiced at the slaughter and partied in the streets. Starscream hoped that none of their Predacon allies had been caught in the laser strike, but he worried that they might have been pressured into pretending to fight. He assumed that Arcee would find out soon enough, then he would know. For now, he tried to be optimistic.

 _It would have been for the best if both Skystalker and Azure had been caught in that blast_. Starscream rolled his eyes. But he knew that one of them would have stayed in the centre, thus she had been out of range. Still, he assured his friends that the battle would be over soon. He could sense the end of the troubled times.

No one had a wink of sleep. Every Cybertronian who had been awake during the battle, even those who had been working, were now clustered by any device showing the news. Eventually, Optimus appeared in a conference with Ultra Magnus at his side. The story became clear quickly. The decision had been very sudden, a grave recommendation from Ultra Magnus that had been voted on. To keep the plan from being discovered, they had mobilized immediately.

 _With only enough time to take Megatron_ , Starscream thought. _He must have been pleased to contribute._

So that explained why Starscream had not glimpsed Ultra Magnus's tall form and recognizable shoulders in the battle. He had gone back to his station, telling no one of his plan. Just suddenly, shocking his own crew, he unlocked the weapon, took control of the laser, and directed it. Even the blackmailed Autobot spies had not had enough time to warn Skystalker.

The press conference grew boring to listen to as questions and answers were repeated. The Seekers began to doze, until they became aware of shrieking jets replacing the street celebrations. Soft Breeze stretched and checked outside, then sighed, "It looks like the commanders are back. Everything's back to normal."

"It would be best for me to rest." Cloudtips got up.

Soft Breeze said, "I suppose I am expected to go on my previously scheduled patrol."

The two of them comforted Comet for a bit longer before leaving. Starscream stayed with him, changing the channel and waiting as he was meant to until Jetfire's next command. Yet the Sky Commander was so occupied that he had no time to consider Starscream. For now, he was left alone to live normally with Comet.

A lazy, tranquil atmosphere settled over them. It was late in the night, and for a while, neither of them was interested in sleeping. Comet took medication for his pain, then brought over a bowl of energon flakes. An Earth film played in the background while he and Starscream began a board game based off an Earth one. They nibbled and played until daylight, then had a short rest. After waking, Comet's mental state had improved slightly, but they watched more movies to keep him calm.

Then at last, Jetfire contacted him.

"Where are you now?"

"With my Seeker, as you instructed."

"How is everything?" he asked.

Starscream answered, "Fine. Are you injured?"

"Nothing but the most minor of burns." Jetfire's smile could be heard. "My spark rests easier knowing that we have eliminated a sizeable portion of our enemy, and that we can still win over more Predacons to our side. And with this victory, I believe there will be a calm in the populace. Now is the time, if you know what I mean."

"Now?"

"I am going to speak in Vos. I will have you beside me, and after I speak of our triumph, I will speak of you."

Starscream pressed his wings back nervously. "Very well…"

"Just come to the pavilion."

After he had spoken to Jetfire, Comet came up to him. "So you're going to tell everyone who you are?"

"Yes."

"I hope they are kind." Comet squeezed him. "What… if they hurt you?"

"Then I will fly away, so that no one can catch me."

"But you are already injured!" Comet gasped. "After everything that Predacon just did to you…"

"Think nothing of it."

"Oh… y-you are so brave…"

"I must go."

Starscream patted him then said farewell. He leapt out the balcony and targeted the pavilion. It was a stage two-steps high, underneath a decorative, metal roof raised by poles. He waited by the structure out of the way of the collecting news crews. Although he had been famous recently, they were not focused on him as they tried to catch more words about the battle this time from the Sky Commander.

Other Seekers not on patrol saw that something was going on, and they stayed to watch. They became a crowd that grew, adding to Starscream's nervousness. Then, Comet appeared suddenly and stayed at Starscream's side. He had been unable to stay at home away from him. When Jetfire arrived, the excitement of everyone grew. All cameras were ready as Jetfire began taking questions, but Starscream could hardly hear the words as his fear started to deafen him. Comet saw him faltering and clutched his hand.

Jetfire called him. Starscream did not react at first when he said, "Moonwing". But then, he noticed a strange silence and all the eyes and cameras turned to him. He stepped forward, the crowd parting to let him pass. On shaking legs, he carefully padded up the stairs and joined Jetfire under the roof.

"Moonwing has long been our friend and ally." Jetfire raised his chin. Starscream hung onto every word and sentence, wondering when the crucial words would be said. "He is a formidable fighter and strategist, and has helped us uncover the secrets of the organization, the Forged's plans! Before his long disappearance, he had been a beloved peace bringer for the Valley of the Predacons."

Already everyone was beginning to applaud him. Starscream stepped back a bit, shrinking in on himself.

"He had been at the forefront, doing all that he could to prevent another war." Jetfire nodded kindly to him and put a heavy arm around him. "Moonwing was respected by the Predacons, and by all who had been charmed by his performance."

There was more applause, and everyone was craning their necks, curious to know what the lead-up was for.

"I trust his judgement with all of my spark, and his loyalty and valor. Every member of the High Council appreciates him and believes that he should be treated with respect."

Jetfire kept him pressed close. His bright, blue eyes sparkled as he opened his mouth, but his next words were interrupted by the boom of a blast. One, and Jetfire jolted back and let go of Starscream. Another blast resounded and Jetfire danced back again. By then, everyone had snapped to attention. An unmarked Seeker stood on the nearest balcony, a long rifle in his grasp. He desperately shot a few more times before the Autobot Seekers reacted.

As Jetfire tottered, the Decepticon leapt in panic. He tried to flee, but was nailed in the air by an onslaught of blasts. Far too many struck the sniper, killing him instantly instead of incapacitating him.

Jetfire took a knee and held his gut. Starscream was already there, gasping and checking his wound. Other Seekers had rushed onto stage, including Air Raid. Yet Jetfire waved off Starscream, groaning, "I am fine."

There was no great pool of energon. Jetfire even began to stand, glaring and hissing through his teeth, "Fortunately, I have thick armour..."

Through the jagged bullet holes, a strange green liquid dripped. Jetfire glanced at it and dug a finger into a hole, gritting his teeth and dragging out a green-smeared shell. No sooner than he had grasped it, did Jetfire suddenly freeze. His body clenched, and he fell backwards. Air Raid caught the massive Seeker, his mouth in a horrified circular shape.

"M-medics!" he hollered. "Now, someone!"

Starscream quaked and leaned over Jetfire, helping Air Raid dig out the bullets and scrape out all the liquid they could reach.

"What is this?" Air Raid whispered.

They were shoved out of the way when the paramedics of Vos took over.

"He has been paralyzed!" one of them cried. Even as the words flew from his mouth, the medic was helping place Jetfire on a large stretcher. Air Raid ran after them when they hustled off, and Starscream pelted after him. Far from being alone, the distressed crowd of Seekers stumbled and wailed around them.

"What happened to him?" Air Raid demanded. "What have they done?"

They burst into the nearby hospital, receiving no answer. The Sky Commander was rushed into the emergency ward, and even Starscream and Air Raid had been shut out. The silver and red Seeker pawed at the door, then turned away with squeezed eyes. Starscream could see the Predacon claw marks and faint burns still fresh on Air Raid's body as he strode back outside.

Air Raid approached the dead sniper. The Decepticon had tried to transform in panic, but had been killed partway. His face was frozen in shock, his body an obscure mess of rods and shards.

"What is this?" Air Raid's eyes flickered over the mangled body.

Starscream recoiled and whispered. "He is one of the ones who was upgraded by the Forged."

Seekers and journalists snuck close.

"He could transform into any shape," Starscream muttered. "He must have gotten in, then disguised himself…"

Air Raid cried, "This is how it will be! Those Predacons and Decepticons are seeking revenge! They are trying to pick off our leaders after our victory!"

The Seekers yelled and jabbered. But Air Raid said, "No, Jetfire shall not die! He is too strong. The enemy has tried and failed, and we will be ready for them now!"

That rallied the Seekers together. Their desperate drive to fight had returned, demonstrated with many raised fists and blasters. Silverbolt and Fireflight swooped in and charged up to Air Raid, leaving Starscream to slowly slink off. His shaking was awful and he could hardly set one foot in front of the other. He was mostly ignored, but Comet ducked under his arm and helped him walk away.

Starscream was terrified for Jetfire, but something in the air filled him with dread. Something else was coming- he sensed it. The attack on Jetfire did not feel like a single goal or the end.

Then, he suddenly realized it. He seized up, and whispered, "Oh no. Oh no…"

"What is it?" Comet squeaked.

"I see now…" Starscream's eyes narrowed into small circles. "He was not only stopped from saying it, but…"

Comet shook him. "What? What?"

For a second, Starscream lost control. He grasped Comet and wheezed, "Do you not recall what Skystalker had me say? This was planned! It was planned for maximum chaos…"

Starscream wilted. Then, he recovered and gasped, "I need to hide. Now! Where?"

The twisted corpse of the Decepticon floated in his mind. With the knowledge that he could soon look like that, Starscream could barely think. But he heard something, on the public screens in the streets. Something… what…

His own voice.

Starscream did not stop to hear the words. Before the startled Seekers watching the news had even heard him say _What remains now is to take Jetfire's place_ , they were already twisting their heads, looking around them. Even he could not take off in such cramped conditions. No- in the pause in midair, before he had fully transformed and rocketed away, fifty blasts would have him by then.

Surrounded and unable to fly, Starscream ran.

"Stop him! Get him!"

Hands swiped and blasts burned around him. Starscream ducked and wove, the ground around his feet peppered with heat. As Seekers moved either to get out of the way of the shooters or to intercept him, some nullray blasts struck him at last. His body was electrified, temporarily stiff and unresponsive. Rough hands snatched at his neck, his arms, and punches tried to follow through. The crowd in the streets tightened until there was no more room to shoot. Only a sea of angry faces and waves of vicious hands came at him.

The goal may have been to stop him, but Starscream knew that they were going to kill him. They would rip him apart before they had realized it. From his terror, his claws came out on their own. He slashed at everything that touched him, hearing pained screeches in response and feeling Seeker blood splattering him. The crowd stumbled back in alarm for long enough. Starscream bowled into a residential building, sprinting through the hall toward the stairwell.

They had recovered, shoving past each other to get inside and fire at him. The wall was scorched as Starscream flung himself into the stairwell and pelted up the stairs. No Seeker had trained like he had. When it came to running and agility, no one was fast enough to keep up as he tore up the stairs. Instead, they called to others. Seekers flew to each floor, breaking in and trying to catch him if he left the stairwell.

A door opened a floor above him, and footsteps rushed down. Starscream bore a blaster and hesitated only when he recognized a vehicon before him. It was a blue flier, familiar to Starscream. He had been introduced to him before, he knew that he had been- but he struggled to remember his name at this moment in time.

"Come with me!" the vehicon gasped.

There was a groundbridge remote in his hand. The jet vehicon activated it, opening a portal before him. Starscream did not hesitate. He heard the banging as Seekers charged closer above and below them. There was no escape; they would tear him apart into unrepairable pieces in seconds.

Starscream and the vehicon dove through the portal. It was closed a moment after, separating them from the mob. Starscream fell forward onto his hands and knees, gasping off his terror over the cold floor.

"Th-thank you," he breathed. "Thank you…"

He could feel that the surface world was far away. He could be nowhere else except for the entrance to the new, secret vehicon club. The blue vehicon helped him up, rushing, "Into the deadzone, before they track us!"

Starscream was dragged into the club. It was midday, and there were few vehicons in sight. Only a handful were sitting around playing some video games. And in the deadzone, none of them had heard the most recent news. They jumped and ignored their game when Starscream was taken in, shocked and bedraggled.

"M-Moonwing?" one gasped.

The blue jet vehicon helped Starscream lay down on a couch.

"He is Starscream," he told them quickly. "We have to hide him here! Everyone is trying to kill him!"

The vehicons bent over him, murmuring in concern.

"Why?" The word came from many of them.

The blue vehicon answered, "Because Jetfire has just been shot, and then this video was being played… I think Starscream is being framed for it."

The faces nodded and turned, feeling for him.

The blue vehicon murmured, "But you didn't have anything to do with it, did you?"

Starscream quaked as he shook his head. His face twitched, but he could not choke out a word.

"He is good," a red vehicon confirmed to the others. "There was never a reason for him to show us vehicons a scrap of kindness. It is our duty to help him."

A vehicon went to the backroom and pulled out a tarp. The gentle hands sat up Starscream and wrapped him in it.

"We will protect you," an orange one said. "No vehicon will betray your location."

Starscream gripped the tarp and bowed his head. The vehicons sat around him, the closest ones petting his wings.

"Starscream then, all this time…"

"So it was more than just a joke."

"Right, he was making fun of himself for so long… Just to make us laugh. Oh, how much you have changed…!"

Now, Starscream felt weak from their kindness, barely able to comprehend it. They fretted over his recently welded scratches and asked about what they could do for him. In the end, Starscream lay down and wrapped himself up tightly in the tarp. The vehicons stood around him, pressing their fingers together.

"You're safe now," one whispered.

Starscream tightened. Sure, he was safe in the underground hideout, but the home above had become hostile to him, murderously so.

The jet vehicon who had saved him knelt by his face. "I am so sorry."

Starscream gazed into the vehicon's eye. "You were the vehicon who wanted to be a Seeker."

"Yes," he whispered.

"J… Jake, was it?"

"Yes… That's my name," the vehicon sighed, warmed.

"Were you in Vos for practical training?"

"I was," Jake murmured. "I was standing by the screen nearest the building. I saw everyone lunge at you, raging and screaming like animals… I knew I had to reach you. I was the first to fly up. I was hoping, praying, that you would take the stairs. You wanted to find somewhere to jump out and fly, right…?"

Starscream raised his hand to touch the vehicon's head, then halted when he realized that his hands were still clawed and wet with blood.

"How did you have that portal remote with you?"

"I just happened to have it on me, because I was going to come here after training…"

"You saved my life, Jake."

The vehicon dipped his head, still warm and content. He did not know what to say back.

They worked to make Starscream comfortable as the day went on. More vehicons entered, but Jake forewarned them at the double doors. Vehicons came in with armfuls of supplies for Starscream. They set up a sleeping place in the corner of chain blankets beside a portable, electric heater. They brought in oil and cloths, even heating up the oil before cleaning the blood off Starscream. He sheathed his claws once they were clean, then he lay in the corner.

There was a line of energon drinks for him, a pile of reading material, and games. Most vehicons who came in had left to go home and find anything they could to give to Starscream. Someone came back with paint and wax, and carefully covered the weld marks on his body and smeared him until he had a healthy shine. They put down their dear possessions when they did not know how to help him. There were gems, statues, and cloth plushies of Cybertronian animals all around him. For now, he left them alone, but felt overwhelmed by their caring.

When night came, Valor and Mint arrived. Starscream had not seen Valor since he had been cured and released. With all the recent events, he had escaped unnoticed by the news. The jet vehicon and his companion, the green miner vehicon, both hurried over once they had heard the news. Vehicons moved to the side to let the duo through, although one vehicon stayed nearby to power on a fake electric candle that released a sweet smell.

"Starscream…" Valor murmured. He had never known his identity, and he had never liked Starscream before, but there was no hate within him now. He gathered his friend and hugged him, telling him, "It will be alright."

"What is it like up there now?" Starscream whispered, voice hoarse.

Valor sighed. "It is… chaos. I am sorry. This is the biggest scandal in all of Cybertron's recent history. But it will be okay in the end. They will get over it once they learn the truth."

Starscream had already heard about Jetfire. He was in critical condition, vehicons had said, because of the Predacon venom that had been in the bullets.

"What are they saying now?" he choked.

"They think you tried to eliminate Jetfire, but then someone showed the truth to stop you from taking power…" Valor held Starscream's wings. "But I didn't believe it for a moment."

"Is he any better?"

Valor shook his head. Starscream moaned softly.

"No one yet understands, although Optimus tries," Valor said. "He has explained how you were raised under him, but because of that video… Everyone believes that the words in the video are the truth, that you have been tricking the High Council-"

"That is not true!" he cried. "I was made to say those words! Skystalker threatened the lives of my Seekers, and even then, why… he still killed Sunchaser…"

"Hush, I know… Not that, but I know none of it is true… You were forced, of course…"

"They all want to terminate me, don't they?" Starscream's voice trembled. "No matter what I did… Why don't they remember anything? I tried so hard to make up for everything… I-I tried to make peace, save lives, improve them… For so long I spent time befriending whomever I could, and I tried to be known… Everyone had loved me. After that show, all my followers…"

Valor let go and drifted back, seeing how Starscream collapsed onto his side and dug into the blankets. He shook and whimpered, "None of them care now. They hate me… the entire world hates me, and they will never accept me."

Valor held his shoulder. "No, they will. They won't hate you forever."

"It took only an instant!" Starscream cried. "There, I stood on the stage where they warmly applauded me! All it took was for them to hear me say who I truly was! They despised me at once, when I was no longer Moonwing to them. No one but you imagined that I could have been a victim, innocent and framed…"

Starscream curled and lowered his voice. Mint took his hand.

"We don't hate you," he said. "And when it is safe for you to go up, we will support you."

The gathered vehicons agreed in chorus.

Mint said, "I wish I could make you feel better… but all I can do is ask if we may play you some music while you wait."

Valor asked, "What could we play for you, Star?"

When he had called him that, Starscream felt a fresh flush of pain. Steve had called him that, while others would have said ' _Scream_. More than ever, Starscream missed Steve terribly. He felt himself breaking more as he thought of what Steve would have done for him at a time like this. He would have tried to hug him, and he never would have let go until the end. No one had emphasized so strongly with Starscream than Steve, who had cared more about Starscream than Starscream had himself. And to think, of how horrible Steve's death had been…

Valor and Mint apologized profusely, not understanding why Starscream suddenly cried. But then, Starscream whispered, "Play as you normally do. I would just like it to be as it usually is…"

"Of course," Valor breathed. "Lie down and relax. Rest yourself; you are hurt and stressed…"

Mint picked up his instrument. Another vehicon, a rose-red one that Starscream had not noticed until now, joined them on the stage. They took the time to set up as more vehicons entered and visited Starscream. The new vehicon set himself behind the drum-like instrument that had once belonged to the former drummer of the tiny band. Starscream did not know what had happened to him, and could not even remember his name. He assumed that he had never wanted to return after surviving the Predacon attack on the last club.

Valor held his microphone and introduced the other vehicon.

"This is Kira. He has started to teach himself how to play and joined us months ago. Please be forgiving; he would like to practice and improve."

Starscream nodded from across the way. Vehicons drifted to the furniture to leave Starscream in peace, and the lights were dimmed. The colourful lights turned on and spotted the floor, and the stage light fell upon the trio. They were too conscious of Starscream to start with anything too happy and upbeat. So they began with something gentle and slow, and to listen to them made him feel cool outside and in. Starscream wrapped himself up, chilled, and watched them on his side.

Jake stayed at the doors to keep explaining Starscream to everyone who entered. Shiloh came in without warning, turning to immediately come to Starscream. He took off his belt and sword to plop down beside him on the makeshift nest. The half-blind vehicon had never been very affectionate, but Starscream had been his friend as _Starscream_ , not Moonwing, for a long time. He looked so shocked and vulnerable, in need of comfort. Shiloh let Starscream place his head on his thin upper leg, then he set his three-fingered hand on Starscream's temple. It was enough to make Starscream go limp as he watched the performing vehicons.

Starscream later murmured to Shiloh, "Tell them I want to hear the song from my show."

He carefully put down Starscream's head and walked up to the stage. Once they had finished a song, Valor leaned down as Shiloh whispered to him.

Valor spoke into the microphone as Shiloh walked back.

"We will play the song we composed for Starscream's air show in Tarn, as per his request." He nodded back at Mint and Kira. " _A Spark Aflame_."

Only in the beginning were there beats of a drum, slow and easy enough for Kira to accomplish perfectly. Then, Mint joined in with the soft, almost melancholic drops and rises of his violinesque instrument. Only later into the song, did the drums end and Valor's voice joined in.

Starscream was lying on the vehicon's dark leg again, feeling the rush of the past flowing into him. Oh, he remembered how powerful and untouchable he had felt in the air when this song had played. He could hardly listen to it and remain still. The song filled him with such passion that made him want to do something. There was nothing he could do now, but at least life was returning to his forlorn self.

"What is it?" Shiloh asked when he shifted. "Is it too much?"

"No, it is fine. I am enjoying it."

"Oh. Good."

Shiloh's fingers curled over his temple. When the song was nearly over, he asked, "Is there anything else that you would like to hear?"

"No," Starscream whispered. "I only wanted to hear that one once again. Whatever they play now will be pleasant enough."

And so, they said nothing else. Instead, they continued to listen to the music in their safe, hidden world.

* * *

 **Jake was from way back in chapter 25.**


	41. Chapter 40: Bring Forth the Apocalypse

By morning, the vast majority of the vehicons departed and even Shiloh was obligated to leave for work. However, he had promised that he would sneak a word to one of the High Council members to tell them where he was. The gesture was impressive, since the vehicon had once been timid in the presence of Team Prime Autobots. Now, although small in stature, Shiloh was a hardened and fearless fighter that merited deep respect.

Starscream was left alone with a few vehicons, who respectfully let him be and quietly did their own thing in a corner. He sat against the wall and read, but he was so impatient for time to pass that it was difficult to do anything. The greatest relief came whenever he was visited by vehicons he had met before. They would enter and come up to him, though in embarrassment. They weren't entirely sure how to behave around someone who had commanded them in the past, yet who was now in their care as a friend.

They kept him updated on what was happening above. The media kept referring to the event of Starscream as a "scandal", and they had been revealing all his past crimes that could be found in the archives. It was only fuel for the fire that kept anyone from believing the High Council. In fact, this occurrence made civilians lose faith in them. From left and right came accusations, as everyone wondered how the leaders could have been so "ignorant" and "stupid" to try to raise and train Starscream in the Autobot way.

Vehicons pressed that these were not their own views, but they revealed that others considered Starscream as unchangeable. It was just his "nature" to be ambitious, sadistic, and murderous. The High Council had disregarded public safety in letting the war criminal roam free.

That being said, Starscream knew he was not going anywhere soon.

At the very least, it gave him time to heal. He exercised and stretched himself, running around the club no matter who was watching him. Starscream certainly did not want to spend this time seated. To keep fresh, he trained with Shiloh whenever he returned. With practice swords, they went at each other while others watched. Shiloh was much more skilled with this weapon, so he had to go easy as Starscream tried to control his own moves. Though unexpectedly, Starscream threw away his sword and decided that he wanted to train without it.

"...for a more realistic scenario," he had explained.

Starscream imagined Shiloh's dull sword as a claw. He twisted and jumped, throwing his body every way in order to avoid his jabs. Without having to hold an object, Starscream felt free to move as he wanted to. Like that, he instantly became untouchable. Shiloh thrust and slashed, but Starscream would flick his wings or limbs back and out of the way so that the sword just barely missed him each time. The vehicon could not help but be impressed. He hadn't fully realized how agile Starscream could be on the ground, even face-to-face with a sword.

The vehicons took great entertainment in watching them as the two battled on the stage. The watchers were mesmerized by how Starscream could escape each time, moving around the blade so fast that it was hard to make out how he had done it. All clapped and cheered for both of them, for there was no doubt about Shiloh's sword skills. It became like a performance, and for fun, some vehicons switched places with either Shiloh or Starscream only to be defeated instantly. The vehicons would be knocked off their feet or twisted into an armlock, abashed at the roaring laughter of the crowd.

Mint had stood by the stage to twiddle some tunes to increase the merriment. Everyone felt obligated to clap or even dance a bit as Starscream trained on the stage with this music. And whenever the fighters took a break, the dancers or musicians took over as they usually did at the night gatherings.

That night had been the third of his stay in the large, underground room. Starscream had sat down with Shiloh in the back, soon to be approached there by Carnation. The silver jet vehicon seemed more tired than usual, and gratefully sat down to rest beside them.

"I am glad to see that you are making the best of things," he said to Starscream.

"One must be prepared," he sighed. "Although, if only it hadn't come to this."

Carnation patted his shoulder then let his hand fall down his wing. Starscream looked at the vehicon's red eye that glowed steadily at him, and asked, "Have you heard about our Predacon spies?"

"I do not know them, unfortunately," Carnation said. "So I cannot say if they live, or if they have already joined the others at the sanctuary. I can say, however, that there was an influx of Predacon refugees lately."

"Then they must be alive,"

"I hope the same."

"How many have come?"

"Since the blast, I believe it was around fifteen," Carnation replied. "We also gained custody of the criminal Predacons that have been captured so far. It was Optimus's hope that we would have success in rehabilitating them. We keep them separate."

Starscream was glad for the chance to unwind and converse. He kept it up, "How is that going?"

"Better than others might expect," Carnation said. "Of course, it is a lot of work and requires patience. The Predacons run their mouths, talking about how much they would like to tear me apart. Most of them quieted down after a day because we gave them things that they never had before. They try to act bitter, but I know they enjoy their treatment there."

"The change was so swift?"

"Well, all of them still mutter about wanting to eat me. They would if they were able to, but the first step is getting them to see us as individuals. All are learning by watching regular television."

"Is there one called Backbite among them?"

"Yes, we have this Predacon lieutenant. We were given him yesterday, and he hasn't ceased yakking since," Carnation sighed. "He is more devoted to the cause than others, but that is because he is older. I do believe that he can be changed, but he has been raised by the Forged. As he boasts, he was brought up by these Decepticons to capture prisoners or hunt Autobots. It is their fault for making him so sadistic and savage."

Starscream _hmm_ ed. He thought of Skystalker, but hated him so strongly that he did not think he would like to see him to live and be rehabilitated. _He is too intelligent and dangerous_ , Starscream told himself to justify it. He tried to suffocate the thought, _Haven't others thought and felt the same about_ _me?_

When it was day again and quiet, Starscream fell asleep. Every vehicon left for a brief period of time, and it was the first time when there had been absolutely none around. Starscream stirred after sensing his isolation, peered around, then did not take long before beginning to talk to himself.

Speaking aloud somehow always aided him if he was stuck on something. And only now did he realize he had wondered _why_ Skystalker had chosen to pick on him. He had been swimming in grief without stopping to think that there must be a greater reason than just Skystalker entertaining himself.

Starscream thought and said, "I should not have been so quick to assume that it was about me."

He could imagine many of his friends scolding him and smiling, telling him that he had been egotistic again. No, he told himself the truth, "I myself am not that important to him."

So he thought about whom Skystalker would really care about: the High Council. Especially after they collaborated to annihilate a large portion of his army.

"If he had wanted to make me suffer, he would have released the video sooner. Yet it is clear that he had been waiting for something. And since everything occurred so swiftly, perhaps his anger, or even, desperation was pushing him forward."

Starscream held his chin.

"Why expose me and frame me? For what purpose?"

Three vehicons entered then, and Starscream went silent although he continued to think. All he could see was that Skystalker had created a distraction that had made everyone forget about the recent victory against the Predacons. But that seemed like too much effort for such an insignificant win. Also, Skystalker had taken the video beforehand, never expecting that the Autobots would have such a victory.

It was not long after this when heavy footsteps thumped down the hall to the club. Non-threatening, of a gentle giant. Starscream stood up and waited for Optimus to squeeze himself inside, led into the club by a random vehicon.

"O-Optimus Prime." Starscream looked over his relaxed expression. "You have come here… Why?"

Optimus glanced at the nest behind Starscream: the blankets and items he had been given by the vehicons. Then, he looked back to him with disappointment not for him, but for the obligation he would have to force upon Starscream.

"Unfortunately, there is only one way to prove your innocence to the public," Optimus rumbled. "They demand that you cease hiding and appear for Trial."

"Is that now?" Starscream tensed at the thought of going back up to the furious, grabbing hands.

Optimus confirmed, "It will be arranged as soon as you accompany me to the surface."

"Wait!" Starscream's eyes flashed suddenly with a knowing light. He repeated, "Wait…"

Then, after a second, Starscream breathed, "Of course… Naturally, all these events would have led to a demand for my Trial! And then…"

Optimus watched as he gasped, then patiently asked, "What realization have you made?"

"Where is the Trial? In the Tower of the High Council in Iacon, correct?"

"It would be, so that many can spectate and so that it may be televised."

Starscream shook a pointing finger at the air. "Yes, the only time civilians can enter en masse! A highly important Trial, in which the _entire_ High Council gathers to judge… That is it! This is why Skystalker has done it!"

Starscream nodded furiously. Optimus watched him with steady, gentle eyes as he went on.

"Of course security there is always tight… In fact, I cannot think of how they could enter, let alone destroy you all at once. He might try this or… I think I understand."

Starscream looked at him sharply.

"All the leaders will be gathered together, torn from their posts. Delayed. No one would be ready for Skystalker's army if they attacked at that time. And the original plan of the Forged was to attack the Intergalatic Space Station to seize control of the plasma laser. The Forged said that they would split their army to cause chaos in Kaon as a distraction, but instead, it seems that is not what Skystalker is going to do."

Starscream was so energized by his realization that he smiled.

"He does not want to split his army. He wants to attack the Space Station in full force in the midst of my Trial! While all of you are absent and slow to respond!"

Now he waited for Optimus's response, and Starscream became overjoyed when he saw Optimus gazing at him with pride. In his past, Megatron had not been praiseful whenever Starscream had been clever for him.

"Thank you for realizing this before we took action." Optimus lay a hand on his shoulder. "We must now stop to consider how to prepare for an attack."

Starscream blinked, then jolted.

"Wait!" he gasped again. "No- we cannot let him know that we have predicted his plan… We should proceed to do the Trial..."

Optimus saw him begin to tremble in excitement. Starscream raised his eyes upwards.

"Praise the Allspark," he breathed. "I know what to do. We can win… but only if we do what Skystalker would not expect us to ever do."

Starscream hesitated.

"I have a plan, but I do not believe anyone will approve of it. I do not know if you would either… Then again, you might because it is to save lives. We must make an important sacrifice."

"Tell me what you believe we should do."

"We have to give the space station to them. And then, we destroy it."

With many gesticulations, Starscream explained his plan while Optimus watched and listened.

* * *

For the first time in days, Starscream saw sunlight, the sky, and all the clouds. A general calm swept over the Seeker to have escaped the underground, which had made him more anxious than he had realized. He and Optimus had teleported beside the Iaconian Police Headquarters, with only one civilian catching sight of them before Optimus led him inside. All the staff within reared back and were on the verge of pointing their weapons at him. The sole thing that held them back was Optimus' calm figure beside Starscream.

Starscream avoided eye contact as Optimus had someone bring out cuffs for him. They clamped his wrists together and then his large wings, but he stayed still and only grimaced. The keys for them were given to Optimus, who was now calling the other High Council members to inform them that the Trial was going to proceed; he had Starscream ready, and would escort him to the High Council Tower but only once he had protection from Elite Guards.

They waited inside as a small crowd gathered outside the police station. Then, the Elite Guards poured in for Optimus' instructions. Among them was Smokescreen, who was stationed at Starscream's left side. Optimus would walk in front of him while Elite Guards marched at his sides, behind him, and ahead to clear the way of any civilians. With this decided, they trod out into the public.

At the start, it was tolerable. The Elite Guards pushed back the bots who had come to spit insults at Starscream. The line proceeded without pause, steadily entering the busier streets of Iacon. Now, they had certain attention. Bots began to exclaim at the sight of him, pressing as close as they could to take videos and curse at him. Over time, the word spread as it was realized where they were going. Civilians raced ahead of them, ensuring that each crowd ahead grew thicker. Traffic was blocked, but anyone in alt-form transformed and joined them instead of being angered by the jam.

The Elite Guards began to get more physical with them. However, hearing each other and feeling strong as one, the civilians urged themselves up into a fury. They screamed at Starscream, phrases that were repetitive though stung him nonetheless.

" _They ought to just terminate those like you!_ "

" _Filthy murderer! Get smelted, Decepticon!_ "

" _Spawn of Unicron!_ "

" _Thought you could hide, grovelling coward?_ "

" _Rust in prison!_ "

With so many of them, they started to dare that they could get away with being aggressive. Someone hurled a metal bottle of energon at him. They had probably just bought it and had thought that the best use for it was to lob it at Starscream. It curved over the crowd and missed him by a screw-length, hitting the ground and spinning into a Guard's feet. Before anyone could scan the crowd to search for the thrower, someone else had already became emboldened. They chucked a metal box at him, and this time it struck true. It broke against his arm and sent a flurry of energon flakes over him, and while Starscream had not been hurt much by it, everyone had begun to throw whatever they had.

Smokescreen flung himself into Starscream, covering him. A few things struck Smokescreen at once, including a glass ball that broke and released a mysterious, black glop. Immediately, Smokescreen whirled back in indignation and hollered, "Hey! What's your problem?"

And after striking an Elite Guard, the crowd collectively cowered and ceasing throwing things, at least on that side. On the other, Starscream had not been so well protected. Small things such as energon, stones, and scrap peppered him, but he did not want to flinch and give them any satisfaction. Clearly, everyone just wanted to hurl whatever they had on hand, just to later brag to their friends that they had managed to hit him with something.

They had been close to the High Council Tower when the crowd had begun to get this physical. From the direction they were heading, a blue bullet of a bot sped through the screaming crowd.

" _They should tear off your wings!_ "

" _Take this, 'Scream!_ "-a can tinked off his wing-" _They should make you suffer much more for what you've done!_ "

" _If you didn't have guards, I'd tear you into scrap I would!_ "

Arcee appeared at Starscream's side just in time to get hit by a metal, toy ball. The scathing look she returned to the direction it had come from terrified the civilians so much that a few of them took off running immediately. Optimus had stepped back and motioned for the closest Elite Guard in the back to come nearer to Starscream. Suddenly, no one dared risk throwing anything else, but the angry shouts did not cease.

Despite being in the midst of pandemonium, Starscream felt excited and also warmed that Smokescreen and Arcee were close to him, wanting to protect him from everyone else. Arcee was the most surprising, but he suddenly recalled their time working together with fondness.

"Thanks," he breathed to them.

"Real physcos, aren't they?" Smokescreen turned back his head and smirked. "Young and dumb."

Arcee glanced at Smokescreen with enough amusement for him to quickly argue, "Hey, I'm older and more mature than these Newsparks! Being in the War and all changed me. Come on, didn't I develop and calm down during my time on Earth?"

The walk was not so unpleasant with them beside him. They came into the heavily guarded Tower of the High Council, and any civilian that wanted to spectate had to stop and go through security. Bots took seats on the upper floor, filling it up quickly. Starscream knew the news cameras were on and watching him, and he tried to imagine what news reporters were saying about him across the world. Probably some very spiteful and terrible things.

The emergency, expanded number of the High Council was still fourteen. But one seat was empty as Optimus stayed below and Ratchet came to operate the psychic patch safely. Arcee went up and the other guards had been dismissed, including Smokescreen. As Ultra Magnus sat down, Starscream flicked his eyes to the giant screen exactly like the one Megatron's memories had played on. It too, would show the colours of his emotions.

 _Although I doubt anyone will be seeing much_.

When bots began to quiet down, that was when Optimus led Starscream to one of the berths. He freed his wings so that he could lie down comfortably, easing the audience into trust. He showed no resistance, but lay as Ratchet connected the patch to him. Starscream saw that even Ratchet was not suspicious of him, and he had not been unnecessarily forceful. Optimus was next, but when Ratchet came close, Optimus whispered to him words that even Starscream could not hear. He must have been warning him that they would soon have to be wakened.

Once Optimus was connected to him, Starscream was immediately swept away. Now would be a battle against himself. He knew that the Predacon army was about to attack, but he had to hold himself back from thinking of the plan he had explained to Optimus. Skystalker would see it and stop the attack.

 _The army that had been vanquished on television marched again. An unending horde, armoured and snarling, cast fire into the night and swept their claws at the Autobots._

Starscream tried to continue this, to visualize the enemy and dive into his strongest emotions. He had to keep jumping between memories, to distract himself for just long enough.

 _Sunchaser shrieked as Azure crunched into his abdomen and yanked out his organs. When the cry ended and he fell limp, a new kind of screaming erupted from Comet._

Starscream could not help showing the graphic scenes to the young audience. He needed fear, pain, and determination to stay in control.

" _Moon!"_

 _Aceflight's neck was twisted and snapped by Skystalker, who Starscream had not even known then. His head dropped, hanging as it shouldn't, with eyes quickly sapped of light. And then, a Forged soldier stabbed into his wounds. His body lay beside Aceflight's, seeing only him as the Forged gruffly observed that he was taking a while to die._

Starscream did not stop himself to think that his remaining, living Seekers were watching and seeing this.

 _Charred Mist ignored Starscream's hollers and raced ahead in the tunnel. Suddenly, they heard the stomping of Predacons overhead and the clinking of sharp parts. After hearing the yell, one tore into the ceiling and slithered into the tunnel. Starscream hid around the corner with Arcee and Sunchaser, but Charred Mist skittred ahead. The Predacon gave chase, and all above charged to block his escape._

Starscream was terrified anew to recall this, and as with each memory, everyone could see the bright red of his fear around the screen.

 _Twilight was dead. Seekers had carried her tall body back, yelling in their wrath, and letting everyone see the clear Predacon scratches that had ripped open her body._

Even what he shouldn't have showed, was shown.

 _Soundwave was a metre away from him when both of them heard a growl, a blast of fire, and a wing flap. Laserbeak's distress signal filled the air even after a crunch, forcing Soundwave to rush away to the outside. Starscream followed and saw when Laserbeak went silent, after the Predacon had speared him and begun tearing into him. What ensued next was the avenging rage of Soundwave as Starscream skittered up to Laserbeak._

Then.

 _Redwing's gut was sliced open and bleeding uncontrollably. Starscream had already tried to call for help, and was left now with his hands vainly trying to hold together his tubes._

" _I don't want to d-die…" Redwing whimpered._

" _You aren't going to die."_

Perhaps the audience would start to understand that he cared for others, by seeing his fear in these circumstances. But here, Starscream would not know.

 _The trembling Seeker stared into his eyes. "I-I don't want to…"_

" _Save your energy, help is coming… They will fix you, Redwing."_

 _Redwing nodded and grew weaker. Starscream continued to hold on, not even realizing he was already gone until a paramedic told him that it was so._

"There is much to show," Starscream said suddenly. He stood in a grey haze with Optimus immediately, appearing in the same modified body Knockout had given him.

"You are afraid," Optimus agreed.

"I understand that none of this is what the world wanted to see," Starscream said. "But this is my life now, and it is what lies at the front of my mind. So many have become important to me, and so many of them have been lost to this pointless conflict. I want to protect them all…"

And he had meant them all. Now, he began to recall the calm times when he had worked in the Predacon Valley. Those he had played with, lay in the sun with, spoke to as though there was nothing but peace in the world. The days were sunny, slow, and full of bird song.

 _Sunchaser was full of life, joy glowing in his blue eyes as he showed Starscream for the first time how to fight Predacons._

 _Another day, there they were, working together and taking a survey in the village to find out what should be built for the population. The Predacons were polite and excited, following them and crowding around the Datapad._

 _At some unknown time, Starscream was wrapped in Windstorm's soft wing, drifting asleep in the sun..._

He was yanked into reality at that moment with a gasp. Ratchet had unplugged them swiftly, Optimus first and Starscream second. By the time he had awoken, the High Council had already launched from their seats. People in the crowd were yelling and screaming as phones went off and televisions were overtaken to play emergency reports.

"Predacons advancing on Hydrax!" an news anchor hollered hysterically. "They're coming, it's the attack! Hundreds flying!"

He kept repeating it, but Optimus was already mobilizing. Starscream did not know who he was contacting through his commlink, but he rumbled, "Activate the New Spark protocol."

Just as Starscream had wanted: absolute evacuation. In seconds, an ominous wail of a siren shook the city. Everyone had known about the shelter and alarms, but to hear it in real life shocked them for moments. Optimus hastily freed Starscream from his cuffs as bots began screaming and tearing to the exit. All the Elite Guards among them cried the phrases, "Order! Calm! You are not in immediate danger!" to prevent them from trampling each other.

Ultra Magnus charged down to Optimus.

"Why are you calling for full evacuation?" he boomed over the roar. "Shall we not send forth our armies?"

"No, Ultra Magnus. Command all personnel to activate the space station's automatic defenses and to evacuate."

"You want us to abandon the station?" Ultra Magnus clenched his hands. "If we do not defend it, then we give our enemy access to the planet's most powerful weapons!"

Starscream's shook, twitching to get going. But he had to be certain that everything would go right.

"We will destroy the station," Optimus said. "We must let them gather in one location to strike them all at once. However, it is essential that the enemy believe we are fighting to defend the station. Let the Predacons come and tell the staff to evacuate just as they enter!"

Starscream decided that it was going to work, but he could not waste time. He flew to the upper level and nearly crashed into Silverbolt as he was commanding Seekers to prepare for battle.

"No!" Starscream gasped. "Evacuate all Seekers. We will not attack!"

"What?" Silverbolt snapped.

"We will fire our photon missiles at the Space Station and destroy them!"

"Are you mad?" Silverbolt hollered. "We cannot! That station is the planet's only defense against invasion- without it, Cybertron is helpless!"

"We must!" Starscream grabbed him in desperation. "Let us destroy the threat of the present and concern ourselves with the future later!"

Silverbolt hesitated, then squeezed his eyes shut. Without warning, he flew outside and Starscream raced after him. Outside, citizens were filing through groundbridge portals that had opened up to lead to the underground shelter. Silverbolt, with Starscream right behind him, cried out, "A groundbridge to Vos at my coordinates!"

He and Starscream darted through the swirling green that appeared before them. In the next second, they were flying in the chaotic city of the Air Command. The sirens wailed here as well, but only the patients of the hospital were being evacuated through the portals that had opened in Vos. The Seekers stood ready, and those who were not twitching for action were heavily arming themselves.

Silverbolt was already commanding, "Air Raid! Command the Seekers to evacuate!"

" _What_?" his voice shouted back through the commlink.

"Do it!"

He and Starscream flew directly to a higher level of the main command tower. They darted through one of the holes that ran up its sides, and they transformed as Air Raid's voice came over the speakers.

"All Seekers evacuate Vos!" His voice was strong and clear. "Disengage and evacuate through the portals in an orderly fashion!"

They ran through the hall, able to hear the cries of protest even from here. The trusted, veteran staff within the building shouted when they saw Starscream tearing after Silverbolt. They shrieked, "Sir, behind you!"

Silverbolt barked back, "Out of the way! Let us pass!"

As the building was being evacuated, they saw more bots. Seekers tried to grab Starscream, but he scrambled out of their grasps. Silverbolt yelled continuously, "He is with me! Leave us!"

Silverbolt unlocked the door, and they burst through into the weapons control room. Everyone had left already, leaving the two alone.

"Target one at the station and the others in the vicinity of it," Starscream gasped. "We must be sure to catch them as they flee."

Silverbolt typed furiously to unlock the weapons with the code only he and Jetfire knew.

"This is insane," he exhaled, but did not stop.

It was not a job that could be completed in a few seconds. Ultra Magnus boomed suddenly to Silverbolt, "The Predacons have entered the station! What is your progress?"

"We are unlocking the missiles now," he answered.

"Work swiftly," Ultra Magnus said. "We must strike them before they can use the plasma laser on a metropolis."

"I am aware." Silverbolt's hands were quivering. He knew that there was no turning back now. The Intergalatic Space Station could not be taken back; it was too late. This was their only option, but if they did not destroy the army and the command centre of the weapons, then they would lose Cybertron.

Ultra Magnus disappeared for a few minutes. Silverbolt was now typing in the coordinates.

"We are doing the right thing," Silverbolt whispered to Starscream. "I understand now. This is how we win."

"Our planet will be exposed," Starscream murmured. "But fear not. We are not alone anymore. We have colony allies who would defend us if aliens attempted to invade us."

Silverbolt sighed, "Yes, yes… and how would they know we are weak? The Quintessons might never come back, or they might long after we have rebuilt the planet's defenses…"

It was difficult for Silverbolt to concentrate and see if he had things right. He had Starscream check the numbers to confirm that all was right.

"Yes," he said, but could hardly tell if they were right because he also was nearly blinded by fear.

"Silverbolt!" Ultra Magnus boomed. The silver Seeker jumped. "Tarn reports seeing the plasma laser in motion. They have already gained control of it!"

"What?" Silverbolt cried. "How have they already, oh no…"

"It is heating up. You must hurry, for it is moving toward Iacon!"

Silverbolt quaked. "We still have to energize our weapons."

Ultra Magnus was already gone again. They were left in silence to concentrate, but the room felt overly loud because they could hear their own energon rushing within them and the thumping of their sparks. Furthermore, the sirens were still wailing below them, although they were slowly becoming accustomed to them.

The sequence to prepare the weapons started, but Silverbolt groaned, "What have we done? We should have fought to defend the plasma laser, but instead we handed it to them…"

Both knew that their weapons would not take as long to power up like the plasma laser. However, they still had to launch their missiles and strike the space station before then. At this rate, the Predacons could use the laser for perhaps a minute, and seconds were enough to kill thousands in the heavily populated city.

Voice shaking, Silverbolt asked the Seeker air commander of that area, "What is the status of the evacuation in Iacon?"

Skydive answered, "We are behind schedule!"

"Speed it up!" Silverbolt cried. "Are you not aware of the laser heading your way?"

"I am," the Seeker answered with equal fear shaking his voice. "But everyone is dashing home to grab their pets first. The time for evacuation is not like what we predicted before!"

Silverbolt ended the call and stared hopelessly at the screen. The missiles were far from activated.

"Silverbolt," Starscream murmured. "Ask how the evacuation in Vos is proceeding."

Since he was curious, the Air Commander did so without question. "Air Raid, is the city nearly evacuated?"

"Almost entirely. The hospital is empty as well."

Starscream grabbed Silverbolt's arm and squeezed it. "Point the missiles at the space station."

"Wh-what?"

"Show them that we are going to fire our missiles." Starscream squeezed harder so that Silverbolt would be able to hear him better through their terror. "They should we keeping an optic on the military cities."

"Why? We would alert-"

"They will see us do it, but their general will think we are further behind schedule than we are. That we are warning him or pretending that we are fully ready. He will shift his laser onto us, believing that he could destroy us first."

Silverbolt stared into Starscream's eyes for a long time, shaking.

"We _will_ fire before they can." Starscream fought to control his voice.

"But they may fire the laser regardless," Silverbolt whispered. "I mean, after we have fired and before the missiles hit them."

"We will flee. Once we launch them, we will take the groundbridge out of here. The city will be empty."

"Vos will be destroyed…" Silverbolt choked. "Again…"

"A city can be rebuilt," Starscream pressed. "We have done it before. But _lives_ , we cannot replace those. Thousands may die."

Silverbolt began to turn. Starscream released him as he commanded to missiles to exit the building and appear on the rooftop. There was a mechanical churring above them as they emerged and turned to the direction they would fire. The Seekers waited, sparks pulsing as they watched the status of the photon missiles.

Ultra Magnus barked, "The laser is moving in your direction. Are you prepared to fire?"

"Nearly," Silverbolt murmured.

"What are you doing?"

"We are intentionally drawing it to us." Silverbolt grimaced.

There was a pause. Then, Ultra Magnus said, "You will have enough time. Get yourselves out safely and come to New Spark. The portals will be left open until you come through."

None of them could see the laser orbiting, coming to the nearby city of Vos. Starscream and Silverbolt watched the screen, experiencing the longest seconds of either of their lives. It was more unbearable than each second during one of Megatron's punishments. The few things weighing on Silverbolt's mind caused golden lubrication to drip from his eyes.

"I will fire it," Starscream said. "I will take responsibility for the destruction of the space station, and if Vos is also…"

"This is the right choice," Silverbolt replied. "Press it if you wish, but do not believe that I will permit anyone to despise you. Your plan has saved our planet and everyone will know that."

Starscream drifted in to stand in front of him. He stared, watching the loading bar fill in slowly, a hair from completion. He clenched his finger over the button, waiting. When he heard a ding, however, his entire hand panicked and smacked down onto the button. A roar shook the building as the missiles blasted away from it. Silverbolt grabbed Starscream and yanked him out of the room. The two bolted down the hall as the noise drowned out the sirens, and orange light shone through the glass windows.

The Seekers jumped through the heated air and transformed. There were no bots filing through the portals to evacuate. They were left open, waiting, and the fliers targeted the nearest one. Silverbolt and Starscream transformed, and after Silverbolt had run through, Starscream skidded to a halt. Had Silverbolt known he would not be following him, he would have grabbed him and argued. The Vos Air Commander had made it to safety, and taking advantage of their separation, Starscream transformed and jetted back into the open air.

He rose higher and pelted away from the doomed city. Starscream thought by now that Skystalker was predictable, now that he knew how the Predacon functioned. Surely, he was alive and in the space station controlling everything. Now that he had seen Vos fire their missiles, Skystalker would blast the city in revenge then groundbridge himself out of there just in time. It would be too frustrating for the general to _not_ use the plasma laser after commandeering it and knowing he was going to lose it.

Starscream felt that he had reached the survivable distance. Even certain deaths frightened him, for a body melted to liquid could not be mended, and then he might be forced the join the Allspark at such a point. The sky above was not yet aglow with incoming red, so he tried to reassure himself and imagine his success. Predacons were probably already evacuating, most flying out since not all could go through portals in the limited time. Skystalker would not die- of course he wouldn't, since he was as difficult to get rid of as Starscream used to be for Megatron. Azure was probably still in the Predacon Valley to guard Predaking. Yet the missiles had mostly been programmed to strike _around_ the space station, which Skystalker could not have known. The hundreds of fleeing Predacons would still be destroyed even if the leaders survived.

 _There is still a sizeable army in Predacon Valley. And for the first time, they have probably allowed the original citizens back there to help guard the area. I doubt most of them would have been motivated to join the main attack. So if they stayed back, then I would have support…_

Optimus would not have wanted him to do this. That was why he had not said that he would abandon Silverbolt after they fired missiles at the Hydrax Plateau and in the surrounding Sea of Rust. Yet something inside him urged him on, a confidence that he had never felt with his plans in the past. He supposed that this was how Autobots felt. He was small, facing staggering odds, yet the determination to do good hardened his veins. It did not feel like death could touch him, that he could not lose because he felt so prepared. No hesitation of fear reached him, and even he was surprised that targeting missiles correctly had scared him more than flying straight for hundreds of Predacons.

Naturally, Starscream had felt confident in his past. But it had been something else, a cold arrogance. So many of his plans had gone wrong, as though the universe had aligned to send in the most unlikely factor to foil them. Something felt incredibly light and different this time. It wouldn't be the same: _he_ had become the unlikely factor that would thwart someone else's plan.

Starscream had flown far enough away that when the sky changed colour, the intensity of the red was dimmer. He turned and circled, unable to turn his back upon Vos as it was vaporized.

 _How unfortunate it was that I was correct._

A red beam shot down onto the city with a sound like shrill screaming. The thick laser cut erratically around the city, crossing and slashing to destroy as much as possible in the limited time it had. Starscream could see the spikes of the tall buildings sink and flatten, all the grandeur of his home melting together into an ocean of hot metal. The control centre he had just been in vanished from existence, all the residence buildings, his own apartment room and those of his friends.

The frame of so many memories was snatched away, striking him with intense sorrow. This Vos had been the place he had trained and strengthened his bonds with his Seekers. With it gone, the dead suddenly felt even more lost to him, as the place of their memories and their home was destroyed.

 _A city can be rebuilt_... He served back to the direction he had been heading before. But it was difficult to swallow losing one's home city twice, and knowing that each time it was rebuilt it would never be exactly the same.

But he mentally shook himself out of it. Nothing, even this, could weaken his certainty and determination.

 _No one died this time. When Vos returns again, it will be populated by the same Seekers!_

And Starscream was going to do all that he could to bring Slipstream and the other Decepticon Seekers back to it. Then, the original Vos would come back. Yes, and those who had died then and recently would return one day back to their home. It could never truly be destroyed- as long as there were Seekers and had been Seekers, it would return. The third Vos would be a harmonic combination of the last two, better than its predecessors, and built in an era of peace.

Starscream had never felt so focused and prepared for a task. Whatever it took, he would end this battle once and for all. He would win the Decepticons and the good Predacons to his side and destroy the two leaders of the army. Predaking and Charred Mist too would be freed from their prison. For the years since his reawakening, he had been planning and training for this very moment without ever intentionally doing it. He was ready in a way that only he was, that even Optimus and Megatron were not.

There was only one last thing that needed to be done.

Justice was coming.


	42. Chapter 41: Justice

Starscream flew higher than any Predacon would have been comfortable. Here the air was thin and frigid, but no one would hear him at this height. The world spun out of sight and was hidden by clouds, although they themselves were so far away that they stretched out like a white and grey ocean. Naturally, there was no way to see where he was, but Starscream had no need of a navigator now. His senses were perked, blood and spark tingling with knowledge of direction, speed, and distance. Air rushed over the Seeker, and space seemed so near to him that it felt like a blanket over his back. He had flown over this planet thousands of times, and now, he felt in tune to every fibre of it.

The cold and the isolation was peaceful as his aberrant spark pulsed with strength. During the journey, he could have believed that the unseeable surface below was equally tranquil. Then the feeling reaching from his spark to his wingtips told him that he had arrived, so Starscream plunged and dropped vertical to slice through the highest layer of clouds. He crashed through the sea and saw finally true ground expanding below him. Hills and plateaus were still small, with Predacons still impossible to make out against the metal. But by now, Predacons would have heard and seen him screeching down from the fabric of the sky.

The Valley lay ahead, thus Starscream slowed and looped to cut his velocity. Now, some Predacons came flying to investigate him, but still he was too fast to be reached. Starscream streaked for the centre like a black meteor, and he flew with such confidence that the clones assumed he was a returning Decepticon. After all, what single Seeker would have otherwise chosen to come to the camp of the five hundred-strong Predacons, boasting an additional one hundred Decepticons? It was a deadzone, where he would be out of reach of back-up and portals. Once he landed, there would be no room to take to the air again and flee.

Starscream swirled and looped more, then neatly dropped down beside the group of Decepticons. The nearest ones jumped at the sudden appearance of a bot, took a second to look him over, then spluttered.

"What the slag?"

"Starscream?"

He had boldly entered, and now he stalked forward with an undeterred swagger. All was intentional, so that they hesitated and wondered if at some point, he had joined their side without being informed. The Predacons all around them stared, some having just no knowledge of who Starscream was. All could see that there was an Autobot symbol on his chest and not a Decepticon one, but he had the look of a double-agent now strolling through his true camp.

Starscream flickered his eyes over the nearest fifty Predacons and discovered that his assumption had been right: a number of them were the original citizens, left behind to be away from the most viscous assaults. They recognized him immediately, some only now learning that he had not been killed by Predaking. What shocked them further was that Starscream had appeared here and now, in the least likely of places, among carnivores and thugs. All they could do was gaze at him with round eyes and wonder if they would have to set themselves upon him.

In the prison of bars, Predaking gazed upwards wearily and blinked at Starscream. He imagined that he was seeing things because of his energon-deficiency, but Charred Mist had started to react. The small flier had been tucked between Predaking's arms out of poking range, but then he gasped and began to rise. He squirmed out from under Predaking's chin and latched onto the bars with a death grip, looking more horrified than glad about Starscream's arrival.

At the sides of the cage stood Grimwing and Ripclaw. Like every Predacon here, they wore white armour around their joints and faces, but Starscream knew they were as loyal as before, trying to think of how to release the prisoners without being ripped to shreds. Vertebreak and Divebomb lingered nearby, giving the appearance that not one of them were connected. All of them seemed like normal, ferocious clones, therefore they were not suspicious, and even Predaking and Charred Mist did not realize they were their allies.

Another Predacon slunk by the cage, small and black. It had slitted, yellow eyes and outwardly appeared cruel and vicious, but Starscream realized instantly that it was Valor. The vehicon had not evacuated either, but he had snuck into the army pretending to be an upgraded Decepticon. He too was also trying to figure out how to free the prisoners. He and the four Predacons had been regarding each other with suspicion, not realizing that they all had the same goal.

Perhaps there were many more who wanted to rescue the prisoners, but feared that the majority was against them. Though now, the five glanced to see what had caused such a sudden, loud entrance. What Starscream received from them was the same open-jawed reaction.

Azure had been lying down and resting like a white stone in the vicinity of the cage. Now, the giant came to life and rose onto her feet at the disturbance. Malicious, green eyes picked him out easily as the crowd shifted away from Starscream and left him in the open. No one wanted to leap upon him without confirmation that he was not one of them; they waited for her reaction. Her fangs parted as she let out a throaty growl, and her wings had begun to open in clear aggression. At last, Predacons stirred, prowling forward and surrounding him. Starscream saw former friends among them with glints of hesitation in their eyes. But there was not enough reluctance within them to stop them from following orders and killing the intruder. He could see that, so he quickly spat across the way, "So you rest here, while you let others do your dirty work for you!"

Instantly her gaze burned with hot indignation. Exactly as he had known it would. The enormous Predacon stood up fully on all fours, growling at a higher volume. The circle bunched up, ready to lunge and slash into him.

"You are a coward, for one who is supposed to be a mighty Predacon of the ancient past!"

His insults had finally driven her to transform. Compelled to respond, she addressed him with a rage-twisted expression, "No creature calls a Predacon a coward! You are merely a fool who has strayed into enemy territory. For that and such arrogance, you should be punished!"

At that moment, Skystalker flew down toward the stir. He had not been in the Valley for long, seeming to have flown in minutes ago after teleporting to the border from the space station. Though he had beaten Starscream here, the way he stood and spoke showed how fresh defeat still pricked him. The general had no knowledge that Starscream had been the one who had destroyed yet another chunk of his army, so instead of feeling wrath to see him, Skystalker expressed both annoyance and amusement.

"Of all the idiotic things- why has he chosen to come here?" He sneered behind the visor over his mouth.

Azure muttered, "It seems he wants to be disposed of at last, for being so bothersome."

"Then why are you speaking with him?" Upon Skystalker's face, one could still faintly see the old marks of Starscream's claws. "Do away with him at once!"

Starscream acted unconcerned, staring only at Azure and chuckling, "One had said that you were queen, but I have seen nothing but dormancy from you. You send him to fight and lead for you. No one has seen you battle, perhaps because you are frightened of it. That must be why you imprisoned Predaking instead of accepting his challenge!"

Azure snarled and broadened her chest. The smaller general beside her snapped, "Don't listen to his sly words! He means to anger you."

"Am I not speaking the truth?" Starscream countered. "When has she fought with the army? She is a coward. She is too frightened to even fight a Seeker." His eyes glimmered with hatred. "Instead, she killed Sunchaser when he was bound and helpless, then devoured him!"

More than half of the Predacons chittered and screeched with horror. No one questioned the truth of it because of the wrath and shakiness of his words. None of them had known that Sunchaser had come here, and they had assumed he had been alive and out of the way elsewhere. The effect was so powerful that Starscream could not help but smile. The Predacons had strayed far, fallen into the ideology, but their love for the Sunchaser had been inextinguishable even if they hated all other Seekers.

Now slowly, Starscream would make things crumble.

Skystalker's eyes went wide in horror at the reveal. He had known the power of the truth, and it had been why he had threatened Starscream before to keep it from the Predacons. But the timing now made the statement more devastating than it could have been before. Once, Skystalker's army had had clones numbering the natural Predacons four to one. Now, the majority had become the citizens, those that had not been brainwashed from creation. Still, Azure was genuinely surprised when Predacons reared back, some standing onto their back legs and flapping their wings while they screeched. She had believed that her speeches had eliminated their personal ties to the Seekers of the Valley completely, but now she saw that something had remained.

The circle around Starscream drew back and traumatized glances flashed Azure's way. She hollered, "What is this? He was a Seeker, an oppressor like any other! He was a spy that snuck into our territory, trying to find a way to destroy us! What does it matter if he was bound? A flier would have stood no chance against me, even if freed!"

"You took pleasure in murdering him because he had been the greatest obstacle to you!" Starscream shouted, letting his voice carry as far as it could. "His kindness affected the Predacons you wanted to brainwash! He was innocent and a joy to all that had known him. Who dares suggest that Sunchaser was an enemy who would destroy his friends?"

There was an uncomfortable silence as Predacons glanced at each other. No protest arose to his words. Shocked in the face of change, Skystalker and Azure put on a show of rage and indignation. Before they could speak again, Starscream pointed at Azure's face and cried, "Sunchaser would have fought you if he could, and he would have defeated you!"

Although Azure was furious, she laughed suddenly, "Defeat _me_? Ignorant creature. Even the weakest Predacon could kill one of your kind. You are inferior, weak, and defenseless. Our species was forged with fangs, claws, fire, and venom. We have strength you cannot fathom, and we can endure damage that would kill your race twenty times over. Primus _made_ us able to prey upon your kind. By definition, we are superior to you. No single one of you could _ever_ stand against a Predacon."

Starscream gazed at her, flinching at nothing she had said. He seemed to laugh through his eyes, which got to the prideful Predacon. Starscream knew she was not like Skystalker; he had heard her speak often enough. Azure was like Predaking, honourable in a different sense, and just as easy to provoke.

"I am the strongest of all the Predacons!" she shrieked at his mocking gaze. "I was a scourge upon your kind in the past! I bent a clan to my will, slaughtering your species in battle and feasting upon their corpses! I am the one who disposes of the traitorous Predacons here! I have bested even General Skystalker in mock combat! No Predacon could stand against me. A Seeker like you is nothing, pathetic- prey!"

The offense she took made her throw caution to the wind. She ignored Skystalker's warnings throughout, not seeing the respect fading fast from their soldiers' eyes.

"If you believe so, then demonstrate it." Starscream stood as tall as ever, not cringing as she stepped closer. "Fight me alone. If it really is so easy, should it not be over in seconds?"

The most corrupt of the clones burst out laughing at the idea, but they were a minority. The rest of the Predacons were silent. The Decepticons were speechless as well, quite uncomfortable from all that Azure had said and from the clones' laughter.

Azure barked, " _You_ believe that you can best _me_ in combat?"

Skystalker muttered, "Kill him already. You have no need to listen to his challenges."

"Keep your armour," Starscream continued, ignoring him. He had to act like Skystalker was insignificant, although listening to him was the smartest thing the Predacons could have done. To keep their attention, Starscream yanked off the missiles on his arms and let them fall to the ground. Some Decepticons whooped at his sheer audacity.

"Oi, is that really Starscream there, mates?" one chuckled.

Another loudly said, "Must have gotten something contagious from the Autobots. Dunno if it's stupidity or some real respectable courage!"

Slipstream was too frightened for Starscream's sake to speak.

Azure shouted, "You dare behave so arrogantly towards me? How do you suppose you will defeat me like that?"

Starscream unsheathed his claws and showed them to her.

" _Those_? Those pathetic needles? You will not even be able to pierce my metal! And with my armour, you shall not be able to even reach my joints and face!"

"I have no intention of striking your weak points," he muttered. "I will prove that I am as well, no coward, and that a Seeker can defeat you without attacking them."

He had never trained with Predacons in any other way. Even the citizen Predacons had known that the Seekers' fighting style had relied on targeting the eyes and joints. Now they shook their heads, thinking that he had surpassed the respectable limit. Eyes pleaded for him to try to flee and spare himself. No one here believed Starscream could defeat her. The Predacons: the clones and naturally forged, the Decepticons, Predaking, and Charred Mist looked at him with either amusement or pity. Valor dipped his head, and even Ripclaw, Grimwing, Vertebreak, and Divebomb looked doubtful.

"Even if I gave you the option, I would not allow you to strike me there." Azure's eyes sparked. "In fact, what need have I of armour? I am the strongest of all. No, I have no weak points!"

"Do as you wish," Starscream responded. "I will not touch you there. I must prove my point."

"I will make you suffer ten-fold for your continued arrogance! I will tear off your limbs and wings, slit you open, and devour your guts before your friends!"

She pointed back at Predaking and Charred Mist, then focused entirely on him.

"My wings can snap your frame." Azure put tension to each phrase. "My teeth are daggers, my claws swords, and my blue fire can turn you to liquid. I could crush you under one foot and slice you in half with my tail. Predacons are the most powerful race to have ever emerged from the Well, and your predecessors knew this and dared not fight us."

"All that may be true," Starscream uttered. "I know you are stronger than me; despite that, I will still defeat you. All you Predacons believe you are superior because of your size and strength. You are laughing now, and I see even my friends pitying me. All of you fail to realize that my race has its own strength that is equal to yours."

He gazed toward Predaking for a second. The Decepticons looked on with the most interest now after he had announced he would fight on their behalf as well.

Azure still uttered, "The only Primus-given skill of little fliers like you is that which allows you to fly away. To attack your predator is against your nature, and is therefore preposterous and doomed to end in failure."

A Predacon clone transformed just to agree heartily, "Who does he think he is? Prima?"

Other Predacons transformed just to jeer at him.

"He wants to face a Predacon in an one-on-one battle!"

"Where's your magic sword, biped?"

"He hasn't got one. A Prime needed one to defeat the original king of the Predacons!"

"Yeah, and this arrogant piece of scrap thinks he can kill a Predacon with his bare hands!"

The clones of the crowd cackled.

"With his hands!" they sniggered.

"With those pathetic, little thorns!"

"Look at his skimpy arms too. Weak bird! Fly and maybe we won't catch you!"

There was a roar of laughter and many sorry looks were cast toward him. Slipstream called out, "Why are you doing this? This was a terrible…"

She went silent as Skystalker twisted his head to regard the Decepticons. Slipstream did not want to be picked out and recognized as a sympathizer to him.

"I am ready," Starscream said. Azure snorted, then transformed as though she was doing him a favour. She unfolded and expanded, rising up before him and lengthening out. The crowd, which was growing, moved far back since she was nearly as large as Predaking in his beast-form. Each piece of armour was plucked off in a show of power and scornfully kicked aside in pieces. Claws curled while she tucked in her wings and arrogantly curved her neck, as Azure relished her own fearsome image.

He stood at a short distance away, facing her like a mouse before a cat. Starscream was far shorter than each of her legs, and her claws were each the length of his forearm.

Someone shouted, "One scratch from her, and you're dead!"

Azure puffed out her chest and opened her wolf-like mouth in a smile. She chittered, laughing at his smallness. When Starscream held his ground, her mirth turned into a glare and a snarl. Her legs bent, then in the next second, the Predacon lunged.

Her fangs clacked on pure air, and something silver flashed by and temporarily blinded her left eye. There was a ting and tearing sound, then Azure's eye dropped to regard the four slash marks that had been scored across her cheek. No blood was drawn, but his first message had been made. It could have been her eye, and everyone knew it.

The audience sucked in air. Starscream had moved faster than anyone could have believed, jumping ever so slightly to the side to dodge her teeth. He was already turned, facing her as she prowled in a considerate circle. Azure wanted everyone to see that she had not tried her hardest, and that he would pay for his arrogance. She turned her cheek to all, letting them see that his claws had not dug deep. Confidence restored, the clones jeered again.

"Pah, he still can't hurt her!" someone cried.

Azure's eyes glittered in amusement. They said, _A neat, little trick. But you cannot kill me like that._

The white Predacon slashed her right arm in a sideways curve, expecting to snag him in her hand and impale him. The claws whistled through the air as Starscream leapt directly at her, slipping under her arm and slicing under her chest. He sped along her side and slashed her twice more before she scrambled back and screeched in rage. Sure, he had drawn no blood, but Azure despised him for thinking he could just dance around her like this. She paused, stared at him, then came at him in uncontrollable savagery.

Azure slashed and bit at every spot Starscream appeared, snarling and expecting to feel the satisfying crunch and rip of metal. His wings were perked like targets, but when she tried to grab hold of them, they flicked back, up, down- every which way just enough so that she could not touch them. Predacons scrambled back as Azure charged circles around Starscream and lashed her tail, skidding to keep up with each change in the Seeker's direction. But Starscream ducked and jumped away from her every attempt to snatch him, grabbing onto parts of her and sliding to safety. His claws pierced little holes into her metal as he climbed and swung on her limbs, and he slashed them and her chest whenever he could.

Now she was battered with more than fifty of his scratches, and growing ever the more enraged. His second and third scratches had crossed over ones he had already made, causing them to now ooze drops of energon. Azure lunged again, slashing and snapping her jaws and growling each time nothing broke between her teeth. He was constantly climbing her like a pesky scraplet, but was too fast to catch. His nearness made her fangs itch, and she wanted to swallow his blood so desperately.

 _How_ was the Seeker not dead yet? She bit, swept, and stabbed in a flurry of blows, shuffling and turning after Starscream's every move. The Decepticons made whistling noises and gasped at him with admiration. Starscream could only see the members of the audience as blurred shapes as he focused on the fight. If his attention shifted for a moment, he would be between her teeth. He had never fought a Predacon as swift as her, and he could hear the power in her attacks as the air whooshed in the wake of her claws. Yet her size, which she had boasted of, gave him opportunity. Her legs were long and easy to weave between and climb. He could roll under her and cut her underbelly, change directions under her, and keep Azure guessing where he could go.

Skystalker twitched with impatience. "What is the matter? Kill him!"

Azure hissed and spun, whipping her tail in a powerful circle at the height of his hips. But Starscream had been expecting that the tail would eventually come into play. As her back turned to him, he leapt high and forward. Her eyes blazed when the tail struck nothing, then she snarled when the little claws dug into her yet again. Starscream clung to her back leg and was already climbing up it although she kicked back viciously. He was not dislodged, but he made it onto her spine to slice crosses as quickly as he could. Metal tore deeper until a rewarding splatter of blood ran over his fingers. Azure rolled right suddenly to send him flying, but as he fell, his claws hooked into the more delicate material of her folded wing.

Like tearing into fabric, his fingers ripped lines as he descended. Azure cried out unintentionally, cursing her reveal of pain. She wanted to deny to herself that the scratches were burning, but she could not. Furiously flapping her wing, she knocked him off and sent him skidding across the ground on his back. Finally, he was in a vulnerable position. Azure's eyes lit up victoriously as she pounced.

He knelt and launched forward in the moment she hung in the air. With his fingers clenched together, he thrust his arms forward like to swords at her incoming chest. All ten fingers sank inside, throwing her into her first panic. She could not believe that his claws could have gone so deep, frightening close to sensitive innards. Pain sparked and she shrieked again, standing onto her back legs to try and tear him off. Starscream yanked back his hands, but found the left one stuck for a moment too long. A claw raked across his side as he fell, a sprinkle of energon hitting the ground as he did.

Despite the two bleeding holes in her chest, Azure saw his bare back and sprang again. Starscream rolled under her and barely escaped when she threw down her mass. He skittered away, stopped, and gingerly touched his bleeding side. The wound was not deep, but the blow got the clones snickering.

"That's right, she has _real_ claws!"

Starscream glanced at his hands. They were drenched in energon, but it was not his own. Azure stood and flared open her wings, her plentiful cuts glowing blue. She corrected herself and gave no impression of being in pain, causing the Predacons to chime in, "You can't do anything! You can't hurt her!"

Azure charged the wounded Seeker, but he had not slowed, much to everyone's surprise. Starscream scratched at every opportunity, aiming for cuts he had already made or raking across untouched metal. Azure swung with her tail, changing the height of her strikes and kicking at him, but each time he either jumped over her tail or flattened himself to the ground, then sliced her back and legs.

Sick of and pained from the same procedure, Azure opened her clawed wings. They came at him like additional limbs, and now four hands of claws swept at Starscream, cleaving the air and ripping deep marks into the ground. Her eyes rolled with wild fury as somehow he managed to grab her wrists, avoiding the claws and darting to safety. The wings that were meant to block him became sudden targets as well, for his claws shredded soft material and pricked the metal frame until blood washed down and turned her wings to blue.

Minutes crawled by, never a blow more landing on Starscream. He scampered onto her back, using her open and flapping wings to do it multiple times. Energon gushed over her shoulders and chest, and fresh wounds opened even through the most heavily armoured plates on the back of her neck. At first, it was irritating, but repetition and the deepening cuts made movement ever the more painful.

Decepticons screamed in delight and eventually, Predacons dared to do the same. As the fight dragged on, Azure's movements slowed down. The Seeker was faster then her, moved more than her, yet did not look weary in the slightest. No one could fathom how he kept going, even with a torn side, but the roles were beginning to change.

"That's it, Screamer!" a Seeker called at him.

"Make her bleed!"

"Get her in the leg again!"

"You're in control of this fight! You'll win it for sure!"

Skystalker shuffled uncomfortably as Azure dripped energon and glared venomously at the uncatchable Seeker. He called to her, "Shall we stop this?"

She screeched crossly at him to silence him. Her pride was wounded enough and did not need his concern. There was utter determination in that response that she _would_ kill him. Was it not just a little flier? The thought that he was hurting her so much infuriated her. She did not want _anyone_ to believe that his race could injure her. But now she could not pretend the wounds did not exist. So many times had he swiped across every available patch of metal, deepening and widening the cuts. Azure gurgled and watched with a maddened stare. How she wanted to tear into him, but air- only air she continued to catch!

At any rate, he had to die so that she could save face. Starscream saw her expression becoming more desperate. Her wings parted again, and her throat began to glow. He sprinted forward just as she launched off the ground, snatching onto her dangling tail before she blasted hot, blue fire. Immediately Azure snapped the tail side-to-side, but Starscream sank his claws deep in between the plates. The pain made her fire cut off with a choking cry. Azure fell to the ground and struck at him with all four feet, managing only to miss and claw the burnt turf around her tail.

Starscream pranced around her, digging into old wounds yet again. The pincer of her tail reached and missed, clinking vainly at the Seeker who was already out of range and stabbing her jaw. With his hands so close to her face, Azure snapped in the hopes that she would finally sever those offending hands off the wrists. Yet when her mouth opened, his long fingers flicked inside and scratched the roof of her mouth. There the metal was thin, and the Predacon wailed in shock and agony that he had dared such a thing. He hopped back, still possessing all his fingers, watching with everyone as blood trickled out between her teeth.

Azure crouched and tested a puff of fire at him, yet he curved sharply, heading straight back to her. As always, Starscream was frustratingly close to her, always grabbing her body and staying out of range of any of her attacks. He dove now at her neck, where the fire could not reach him. Naturally, this prompted her to swipe with her claws, but Starscream ducked under her, taking this chance to cut her abdomen again.

Predacons and Decepticons chanted his name together, screaming more violent encouragement.

"Get her Starscream!"

"You're almost there!"

"Finish her! Rip out her innards!"

Their eyes were glowing with pride now. The Predacon citizens began to tear off the white additions of their armour and drop them to the ground, transforming back into beast-form just to do so. Skystalker snapped his head to them in horror, but so many of them were throwing the armour away that he could target no single one of them.

"Destroy her, Moon-Starscream!"

"Make her pay for what she did to Sunchaser!"

"Kill her!"

"Shred her!"

"For Sunchaser! Make scrap out of her!"

Charred Mist was standing in the cage, his words also audible as he screeched at Starscream, "Avenge our friends! Teach her the meaning of fear!"

Skystalker cried, "Azure-!"

She stumbled, rolling a foot. The great Predacon trembled and stared at the ground around them. When had it become soaked in this energon? Azure gazed at Starscream, dizziness causing blackness to tinge the outside of her vision. There was one cut on his body, but it could not have caused all this blood. It was a horrifying revelation to her when she realized that what she was slipping in was her own energon. Starscream lunged again, tearing his claws into her left shoulder, her chest, abdomen, and right knee. He seemed to be moving faster than before, but that was because everything was slowing down for her.

" _No_!" she screeched in ancient Predacon tongue. In desperation, she threw out blows randomly in the hope of catching him off-guard. All she wanted was to sink in her teeth and shake the life out of him, but the harder she tried and the more hysterical she became, the more mistakes she made. Starscream sliced and slashed, again, again. Again.

Stumbling back, the Predacon panted as her body heated up with exertion. Predacons, Decepticons, and Charred Mist pumped their fists and roared. Azure slipped in her energon again, falling onto her left shoulder for a second. Starscream stepped through the puddle, his arms and chests coated with her energon. He was straight, wings settled in a comfortable position- the very image of focus and endurance. He was far from tiring, and she knew that he was never going to stop. His hard, red eyes stared at her as he stalked after her. He was like a hunter approaching dying prey, and finally she understood the other perspective.

Azure straightened herself back on her feet and stared at the approaching figure. Her vision was growing darker, and it was getting hard to hear things, as though all sound was muffled by cotton.

Starscream saw terror alighting in eyes that he had only ever seen before as sure and arrogant. She gazed at him as though he were a demon, some impossible supernatural creature that could not be defeated. Her shrieks and growls were gone now as a whimper escaped her mouth. She decided to prepare yet another burst of fire, but Starscream leapt and raked both hands up the length of her throat.

She swayed and forgot what she had just been about to do. Although Starscream had been near her face, Azure's jaws closed gently instead of snapping at him again. Her body collapsed, then, her head fell heavily and rested on the bloody ground.

The enormous Predacon wheezed and whimpered. Starscream stepped closer, and she shut her eyes in terror. Her tail ceased dragging itself over the ground as she relaxed onto her side, feet unclenching and limbs lying still and bent. Azure shuddered and peeked at Starscream, the black shadow that was bent over her and watching. Slowly, all movements ended, and the audience shifted closer to watch the green light of her eye dim into darkness.

Starscream had been weaker than her, significantly smaller, with equally little claws in comparison. Each of his scratches had been swallow themselves, one alone barely damaging Azure and penetrating her body. But no one laughed now. The accumulation of his hundreds of scratches had ravaged her body, until the great Predacon had slowly and simply, bled to death.

"She's- she's dead!"

The voices became more shrill.

"He terminated her! The Queen has, h-has been defeated!"

The Decepticons began to chant his name and hoot, even dancing about. Starscream turned from the body and scanned the crowd to pick out Skystalker. The Predacon froze, his face gripped by terror as those eyes seemed to say _You're next_.

"H-he has slain your Queen!" Skystalker cried. "Kill him!"

No one moved for a moment. All glanced at Starscream. Some clones set feet forward, but then Windstorm thrust her way through the crowd and stood over him. Other Predacons came forth, turning and boldly putting themselves between Starscream and all those who wanted to overwhelm him. Those were the Predacons who had torn off their armour, and at the command to kill the victor, even more Predacons were ripping the armour off their beast-forms.

Three quarters of the Predacons there growled at those who dared hiss at Starscream. The aggressive Predacons then hissed back at them, bristling and redirecting their hatred onto their fellow Predacons. Those outraged by their leader's death lunged to get at Starscream, then at once, battle broke loose. Predacons fell upon each other, screaming and tearing and rolling over the ground. Bodies leapt over Starscream as he stood in the midst of chaos, protecting him and assuring that nothing touched him. Starscream could even walk forward, and the battle would shift to keep him unharmed.

Skystalker stood petrified as the blood-soaked Seeker came closer. Clones dropped dead around the clearing, bodies pierced and slit open. Even Decepticons screeched into the air or charged into battle with whatever weapons they had on hand, then, near were the cage had been, a monster rose. The Decepticons that had been modified with Predacons parts were combining into a horrendous beast of multiple wings, heads, and claws. As it formed, a different screech shook the battle after Grimwing, Divebomb, Vertebreak, and Valor had torn off the bars of the cage. Freed from his clamps, Predaking exploded from the prison and took down the nearest armoured Predacons in his way. But his true destination was the same as Starscream's; Predaking was ripping his way through bodies toward Skystalker.

In fact, a few Predacons were turning to the general along with the Decepticons and the combiner. But the first to reach Skystalker was a black shadow that launched out from under the legs of the battling Predacons. Skystalker hopped and cried as the small creature latched onto him and ripped at his face with his claws. He transformed and took to the air, hitting and pulling frantically with his eyes squeezed shut. By the time he managed to flung off Charred Mist, both his faces had been sliced thoroughly and bloodied. Then, in desperation, Skystalker flapped away as quickly as he could to escape the creature with blazing, orange eyes.

Fortunately for him, enough clones had flown onto the scene, attracted by the noise from afar. They accidentally made enough of a wall that Skystalker could avoid being taken down immediately. He broke into the open, rising in the hope of eventually being able to get over the lip of the Valley. Starscream could not transform with his wound, but Seekers were already zipping ahead of Predaking and other Predacons to reach him. Charred Mist caught him first, clinging to him once again but now to claw at the joint where his wing connected to his back. Frantic to dislodge him again, Skystalker rolled and flapped erratically, hanging in the air above everyone.

"Lend me that!" Valor cried near Starscream. When he turned, Starscream saw that the vehicon had addressed a Decepticon with a powerful electric shock bow. The Decepticon somehow found the tone not to be argued with, and he passed the weapon into the hands of the vehicon. On a regular day, the Decepticon would have snorted, not trusting any vehicon to be accurate with any sort of weapon. Now he and Starscream watched Valor yank back the taut cord, bending the huge bow into a fierce curve. Electricity cracked around the vehicon as he shifted his aim, then fired without a word.

The arrow ripped past everyone who had been trying to catch or aid Skystalker. It missed Charred Mist and impaled Skystalker in the chest. The distance had spared him from being penetrated in the organs, but the ensuing spit of electricity seared his nerves. Skystalker was shocked still, falling without a screech right back down into the battleground. He lost Charred Mist and by chance crashed near Azure's body. When he saw it, he quickly scrambled away from it in fear.

He tugged out the arrow, quivered, and transformed as quickly as he possibly could. He backed into a wall as all forms of adversaries charged him. His voice went shrill as he held up his hands and cried, "I surrender!"

No one halted, instead falling upon his prone form with blades, claws, and teeth. His scream ripped out between the bodies as he writhed, kicking against the ground painted with the Azure's blood.

" _Stop_!"

And when Starscream had cried it, everyone pulled away. The sounds of battle grew quiet as the last of the armoured Predacons had either perished or grown quiet, injured and weak on the ground. The voice with its booming power had even startled Starscream himself. He did not feel like he had spoken the word, and he could not believe at first that he had commanded them to cease their attack.

Skystalker was abandoned, torn and bloody against the stump of a damaged house. When Starscream stalked up to him, absolute terror overcame the Predacon. He believed that he had come to finish him off, so now he cast his body to the ground, flattening his wings and trying to look small and vulnerable.

"Have mercy upon me! You have won… Mercy, please!" he sobbed. "I was wrong. I will never kill another living thing again…! Spare me, I surrender to you…"

Starscream stared at him. The Predacon bowed and grovelled at his feet, a murderer who had caused the deaths of many of his friends. Charred Mist twitched beside him, infuriated enough by only knowing of Aceflight and Sunchaser's deaths. The other Seeker even looked disgusted that this intelligent leader had broken down, crying for his miserable life. Predaking loomed dangerously close to Skystalker, and everyone flexed their limbs because they all wanted to be the first to strike the killing blow. And it was in the moment of Starscream's stillness that the gentle words of Carnation had come to caress his conscience. He had said that it wasn't entirely Skystalker's fault that he was this way, for the Forged had raised him to be cruel and carnivorous. But the greatest thing that overtook Starscream and swayed him, was just how much of himself he saw in Skystalker at that very moment.

He had manipulated, tortured, and killed, and he was despised by everyone around him. No one wanted him to live because they wanted his death to ease their pain, and also because they told themselves that he would never change... Starscream knew how the ground felt under the grovelling Predacon; it was cold but comfortingly hard, for to touch its solidness made life feel so real. He could imagine Skystalker's pulsing spark and he could nearly hear the Predacon's thoughts, those _I don't want to die_ s and those _I will do anything_ s. Starscream could even hear his past self screaming such similar phrases at Autobots and Megatron, back in the time when he had been so afraid of death and disappearing.

Starscream's hands tightened as he stood and watched, but the anger was fading fast. Unintentionally, Starscream's silence had terrified the Predacon further. Skystalker trembled and struggled to form more words, and he could not even raise his head to look at Starscream now. The general pressed himself harder into the metal ground.

Everyone leaned over Skystalker in anticipation.

"I will grant you mercy," Starscream murmured.

Predaking snapped, " _What_?"

Protest rose up around him, but Starscream's voice grew stronger and cut through their cries.

"He has surrendered!" he snapped. "No one will harm him!"

To the prone Predacon leader, Starscream said, "Rise."

Skystalker pulled himself to his feet, wobbling as blood leaked from him.

"You will accompany us to New Spark," Starscream uttered. "The High Council will decide your fate. They will not kill you, that is assured. You should expect rehabilitation and a chance at a new life."

Skystalker went weak with relief. "Th-thank you… Thank you…"

Predaking stood tall and uttered, "This is more than you deserve. So if you dare squander this chance, if you harm-"

"I won't!" he croaked. "I-I can change… I can learn…"

Predaking did not cease glaring, but part of his fury was dulled by his absolute fatigue.

Starscream turned his head and glanced to all the assembled Decepticons. Those that had been modified disassembled from their combiner form, looking at him expectantly. It was the first time that Decepticons had given him their full attention and treated him as a proper leader, although what he wished to do with this power now was far different than what he would have wanted to do years ago.

"None of you wish to be imprisoned, naturally," he said. "You wanted a world to live in, did you not? Cybertron can be open to you if you renounce the Decepticon cause as I did. My life can be yours. The War is over. Forget your grudges and everything will be better than before, in this new society."

The Decepticons looked uncertain. The offer seemed too good to be genuine.

Then Slipstream called, "I'm with you, 'Scream! With this world full of bumbling Newsparks, I think they could use an experienced Seeker like me! How about that, mates? A lot better than hiding or serving brutes who would rather eat us than respect us! If you remember Megatron, Soundwave, and Shockwave, well, they're already ahead of us, living the good life as Autobots!"

Her words encouraged enthusiasm to blossom within them. It was much easier to relax when one of them seemed confident in the idea. Skystalker kept his eyes down as the Decepticons cheered and clapped, for once truly feeling hopeful about their future.

And acting like a regular Predacon clone of the army, Ripclaw encouraged the Predacons, "My brethren, there will be a future for us to live in harmony on Cybertron. It was be hard for a while, but we must understand the damage we have done. We must let the others have time to heal."

Divebomb caught on. Also pretending, he prodded both the good clones and citizens, "We were wrong to behave as though Predacons are superior to other races. Perhaps we are a mistake of Primus, but what does it matter? We are better than our ancestors. We are smart enough to see the worth of everyone, to decide our fates, and use our strength for good."

From another location, Grimwing rumbled, "We should even stop focusing on this concept of _race_. We are all Cybertronians who thrive off the blood of our creator. Let us abandon this place and live among the others in peace. They will grow to tolerate us and then accept us."

Vertebreak, although he had never consumed another creature, grunted, "We won't have to struggle for energon anymore. Easy to buy in a store."

It was enough to push them forward. All the Predacons and Decepticons now looked ready and enthusiastic enough to go to New Spark and face their mistakes. Not everyone could fly, so it was going to be as Starscream had implied: a march, although most likely just to the edge of the deadzone so that Starscream could call for groundbridges then.

Predaking was exhausted, but he and the injured looked utterly determined to leave and tell the world that it was officially over. Starscream turned and headed out, walking only on his own for a second. Predaking grabbed Skystalker by the arm and yanked him along by Starscream's side. Charred Mist scampered up to Starscream's other side then was joined by Slipstream, the four Predacon clones of Shockwave and Megatron, and Valor the vehicon. The rest was a mixed group that spread out and walked at a leisurely pace, of Decepticons and Predacons who quickly got accustomed to each other's presence. All of the Predacons had transformed, able to take part in the discussions meant to ease their stress. Suddenly everyone wanted to tell others of their experiences and opinions, to complain and joke. When a few chuckles came forth, the time of suffering seemed to at last be over.

The group encountered many Predacons along the way who had been tasked with guarding further out. One-by-one, the tranquil group of bipeds and Predacons attracted more numbers to their ranks. The news of Sunchaser's death and Starscream's battle was told, saddening and satisfying those who were informed. Bots started to boast that they had been doubting the cause, but there was no telling if that was true. So long as their sparks were committed now, then that was all that mattered.

Starscream asked Charred Mist, "Do you know the way to New Spark?"

The young Seeker shook his head. "I've never had to go there."

Even Starscream realized that he did not know where it was, including the aboveground part of it.

"Never mind. You could just fly to the border and attempt to contact Jet- Silverbolt, perhaps would be better. Jetfire is unwell at the moment. Prepare everyone for us and tell them that peace has been made." Starscream glanced at Predaking. "You should accompany him… but can you make the flight?"

"I could manage it," Predaking uttered, while casting a dry eye at Skystalker, who he still had in a rough grip.

"You should get medical treatment as soon as possible. Mostly to get refueled than to have your injuries tended to."

Predaking stared at Skystalker, who dared not look at anyone and moved as though he could not hear them.

"He won't go anywhere," Starscream assured him. "Even if he wanted to escape, he could not."

Predaking flicked open his hand; Skystalker kept shuffling forward in silence after being released.

"I will meet you in New Spark then," Predaking muttered. "Although I imagine that I will not be well received there."

"I am sorry for that."

"It will take time; I am aware," Predaking replied. "And I know that I am partially to blame, for agreeing with the White Dragon and for allowing her to influence my citizens. I cannot say that she poisoned my mind because you have made me realize that I had my own prejudice. From the time I was a Decepticon to this day, I had thought so highly of my race."

Starscream frowned, but agreed.

Predaking sighed, "I do not believe this would have ever happened if the Predacons had lived among the others since the beginning. Instead, I pushed for them to be separated, believing that they would thrive united under my rule as a king…"

He shook his head.

"I will say it at another time," Predaking said. "I will admit my own mistakes to all and in more detail later. I need not waste your time, since you are already aware of all this."

Charred Mist walked along, blinking at them and waiting. Predaking transformed, then bounded ahead enough to open his massive wings without striking anyone. After he lifted into the air, Charred Mist transformed then tore after him. The Seeker became a small speck at the Predacon's side as both headed to the clouds and eventually rose over them.

That left just then, the rest of the battered, though hopeful, crowd of outcasts to continue their march toward the deadzone's border.


	43. Chapter 42: The Light in the Dark

Insecticons had emerged from the tunnels and watched the crowd with cold, orange eyes from afar. They heard the rumble of hundreds of feet, saw the horde of Predacons, and decided not to intervene despite the bitter hatred in their sparks. Noticing them, Skystalker seemed particularly nervous, as though expecting that they would come for him. For, if the rumors were true, then Starscream knew that the Insecticons' grudge was for him in particular, the one who had preyed upon them.

They never lost the Insecticons. The entire hive lingered in the background up until the exhausting walk ended, having followed them step-for-step. Starscream knew that they would be stubbornly vengeful, and that he could not convince them to forgive the Predacons that had invaded their territory and murdered their own. At least, not so soon. Starscream let them be since there would be no violence, and he halted at the head of the crowd at the deadzone's border.

"Silverbolt," Starscream called through a tight voice. "Is everything alright? Did Charred Mist and Predaking arrive?"

A joyful warble answered him, "Yes, they did! It's over, you've done it… Everything is fine, Starscream. In fact, it is more than that. You will find a warm reception awaiting you."

"What?" he gasped back. "But how could they possibly not be infuriated with me? They _are_ aware that Vos and the Hydrax Space Station have been destroyed, aren't they?"

"Yes, it is _because_ they are aware of everything that they are the opposite of infuriated with you," Silverbolt replied.

"They really know everything?"

"You've been gone for long," Silverbolt said. "We had much time to show them."

"Show them?" he stammered.

"I let them use the patch on me. They got to see you as I had seen you, before and after I had known of your identity. Then there were a few other volunteers who put themselves forward to defend you. At the time, we didn't know what you were planning. We thought you were flying here and allowing us time to warm everyone up to you."

"Ah…"

"Going to the Predacon territory to challenge the ancient Predacon… You truly are unpredictable, Starscream. The High Council was trying to decide what to do next, when suddenly we get a call from Charred Mist. He and Predaking arrive, and then Predaking shows us everything through his own memories."

Starscream clasped his hands, eyes aglow with excitement.

Silverbolt chuckled, "Why don't you come here and we can talk face-to-face? Some bots are looking at me, waiting to open up your groundbridge."

"Alright," he breathed. "But be warned, my company might be intimidating."

"We'll bring you all to outside of the city's walls. Just have everyone come in bot-form and act calm."

For the sake of numbers, five portals opened up then. Without Starscream needing to say it, Predacons who weren't already in bot-form transformed, understanding that image was crucial now. Starscream went ahead with Slipstream, Valor, and the four Predacons from Chaar. Skystalker was between them, hunched and showing no desire to escape. All the Decepticons and Predacons were heard padding after them, then, Starscream and his company were teleported to another corner of the world.

They were so close to the enormous wall that the ends of it stretched out of sight. The grey monster loomed as an even darker mass in the night, cast in shadows despite the blue lights illuminating it. Beams of light raced from the armed towers, landing on the groundbridge portals to reveal those coming out. Yellow light fell over Starscream's group as he peered up at the towers, glimpsing the massive blasters that were all currently limp and powered off.

Starscream sighed and dropped his stiff shoulders, finally noticing the line of Cybertronians after he had noticed the weapons. No blasts rained upon them; instead, the arrivals were bombarded with cheer. The force of it struck them like a blow, alarming them at first and compelling Starscream's and Slipstream's wings to shoot up. Then, they relaxed and smiles expanded over their faces.

When Predacons shuffled in, they blinked at the light and the applause. One-by-one, they moved forward to take seats on the ground, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. They sighed under the drifting beams of light, relaxing, and gazing thankfully at Starscream for having had brought them here.

Starscream craned his neck and looked at the individuals on the wall who had emerged from the underground to meet them. He was searching for friends, until Silverbolt purred without warning, "More to your left, Starscream."

Starscream scanned that way, then spotted the group that was partially coloured by the rampart's blue light. Optimus' huge silhouette would have been recognizable regardless, and beside him was the disguised shape of Megatron. It could only be assumed that the other two unrecognizable shapes near him were the disguised Shockwave and Soundwave. There was also Silverbolt, Bulkhead, Smokescreen, Bumblebee, and Arcee, who were waving under Predaking's towering form. Then, seated upon each of Predaking's shoulders were two ecstatic, small Seekers who were both dark and could only be Comet and Charred Mist.

Starscream's smile ached and he itched to transform and fly to them. When he glanced from them to his cut, Valor came to his side.

"I can carry you there," he offered.

The vehicon's jet wings broke and extended, revealing the four Predacon wings within. Metals feathers spread, then he wrapped his arms around Starscream and lifted off the ground. They rose to the top of the high wall, startling some other Cybertronians although Valor was not in full Predacon form. Upon landing, Valor deposited Starscream and quickly tucked away the controversial wings. Then without a moment of hesitation, Starscream hopped up to the group, quivering and unsure of what to do with himself.

Silverbolt's eyes glimmered with amusement as he stepped aside to reveal Jetfire, seated further back in a hovering chair. When he expanded his huge arms to Starscream, the lithe Seeker sprang over in an instant into them. The night chill seemed to disappear at once as Jetfire's hands swept down his wings, brought him closer, then continued stroking.

"I thought you were still bedridden!" Starscream chuckled in sorrowed relief.

"No, no. But it is still difficult to move the lower half."

"Will you fully recover soon?"

"You really have changed," Jetfire chuckled and rolled his fingers over his wing joints. "Have you already forgotten everything that has just happened?"

"Of course not, but I was forced into hiding, hearing only about you from word of mouth… Of course I am impatient to hear from you."

"Your concern is endearing," Jetfire laughed. "But I am fine now and I was fine then. It will only be a few more solar cycles until my body is fully healed from the venom."

"Thank the Allspark."

"Now what about this?" Jetfire touched near Starscream's side wound. "You should have this fixed up."

"It has already stopped leaking," Starscream said. "So if there are speeches that need to be done first-"

Optimus loomed over them, blinking warmly as he rumbled, "All can wait until you have been repaired. There will be plenty of time for you to rest, as you deserve to, for first we must register those who have accompanied you and take care of them."

Upon realizing this, Starscream calmed his impatience. He stood back and gazed at the faces of all those around him, even at the visors covering Megatron, Shockwave, and Soundwave's heads, since he knew that they were watching him through them. None of them spoke, which would have risked exposing their identities, but Starscream could sense pride radiating from them. And to have earned admiration and respect from them filled him with warmth.

When Jetfire headed away, Starscream pressed in to the side of the chair. They led the group, allowing the world to see them together and confirming that Starscream had never been part of the assassination attempt. The going was slow as bots squeezed in to admire and congratulate Starscream, but the deepest praise came from those within the group.

"I can't believe you did all that," Jetfire murmured from the side of his mouth. "I am so proud of you. You've truly changed so much; you are not a coward, Starscream. You are remarkably courageous, and everyone regards you as a hero now."

He shivered in delight and did not know what to say. He gazed warmly at Jetfire until he heard Arcee's voice behind his legs.

"You did good out there, Starscream." She was just audible past the noise of the crowd. "You behaved like a true Autobot, even a Prime."

Another chill raced down his wings. When he glanced back, he espied her content expression and Optimus listening in.

"A Prime?" he scoffed. "You would have done the same."

"I would have never done it alone," she disagreed. "Team Prime fights together; Optimus is our leader, and he was always the one to put himself in the most danger to make his stand alone."

"I am not Prima, despite what everyone is going to start saying about me."

"But you acted like a true leader, and that is the point I'm making."

Starscream beamed. "You believe that? _Me_?"

"With Cybertron safe, a few of our emergency council members are returning to space," Arcee said. "You could maybe consider running for a position."

He gaped, then shut his mouth and blinked.

" _Pssst_ ," Smokescreen couldn't help inputting. He had crept close because he didn't want to miss out. "It's a good idea. Say yes!"

"I would be honoured," Starscream answered. "There _are_ some changes that I have been considering…"

He had spoken just loud enough to drag in Bulkhead. The turbofox in his arms wiggled and reached out to sniff Starscream as Bulkhead said, "We'd love to hear whatever you're thinking."

The Autobots felt so close to him, and Starscream could still feel Optimus' gaze. Despite the blood loss, he felt springy with soaring energy.

"We'll let you tell the world yourself," Jetfire stared at Starscream with amusement, in a way that Starscream figured that he was hiding something. "Call for us in a few joors, after your rest."

They pushed through bots, took an elevator, then pushed more in the underground streets. News drones raced to find Starscream, collecting footage to use later once everyone returned to the surface. Whole groups of Seekers flew over other Cybertronians and nearly landed on top of them to get near Starscream. Among them was Soft Breeze and Cloudtips, who shoved through laughing in relief and came to embrace him. To complete the group, Comet and Charred Mist then jumped off Predaking to merrily join in.

 _Thundercracker_ was at the back of Starscream's mind as he clung to Cloudtips. The thought would always hover there as Starscream felt that unique draw to his spark. He smiled to see all the Vos Seekers well and alive, but Skywarp's absence was felt like a dent in his chest.

"You saved everyone," Cloudtips rumbled. "And I have never seen anything more incredible than that fight. That flight show was nothing compared to it…"

After a glance at his cut, Cloudtips let go and chuckled, "I will compliment you more later, how about it?"

The walk included familiar faces of Moonwing's life: students from the school, coworkers and Kup of the energon shop, Elite Guards, and more Seekers. Starscream passed out brief hugs to those he knew, even to Air Raid. It seemed that his stress had melted away, and now that his sharp edges were gone, his true personality was coming through. Needless to say, Starscream was quite surprised by his lack of seriousness, by his smile and energy. At once, Air Raid seemed much younger in mentality, like he was an old, outgoing friend of his.

"You saved all the Seekers!" Air Raid pressed him tight against him. "And everyone… Thank you. Oh, thank you for ending it all…"

"If only it had not required the loss of Vos…"

"Oh, who _cares_ about buildings? It's lives that I care about!"

Starscream left smiling, feeling even more forgiven for the choice he had made. He passed through old fans, those who had adored him since his air show, and plenty of vehicons. Starscream floated into the hospital, euphoric and feeling detached from the physical world. He bumped lightly into Jetfire's hover chair, then woke a bit.

A doctor, who was more than happy to help Starscream, led him to his room. Everyone else had dropped back, saying goodbyes to Starscream just before he left. Alone then, Starscream had barely just sat on the berth when a gleaming, short bot burst into the room and stepped out in front of the doctor.

"Certified doctor." Knockout pointed at himself and flicked his other hand. "I'm taking this."

Starscream guffawed and chuckled, "What do you think you're doing?"

"I want to be the one, that's all there is to it." Knockout started to shoo away the doctor, who rolled his eyes and departed. He knew Knockout was qualified, but he also knew it was a waste of time to argue with the pompous bot.

The door closed. Both could not resist a chuckle before Knockout said, "Alright, lie down and relax."

He gave Starscream a shot of energon then left a line of it continuously flowing into him. Knockout then dulled his pain and began closing his wound, and Starscream regarded him all the while.

"You know, watching that fight on screen was horrifying," Knockout admitted. "I am shocked that you won- I'm glad of course, but I couldn't believe that you put yourself in so much danger!"

"Did you really have such low faith, doctor?"

"Frankly, even I was convinced that no biped could win against a Predacon, at least without good weapons. But then you did it with your servos, with just your claws. You never even transformed." Knockout smiled. "It does feel rather good knowing someone doesn't have to be a Prime to do it."

Starscream sighed, "After all has been said and done, all I really want now is to do nothing at all. No more fighting or fear. If only I could lie down and rest for a whole stellar cycle…"

"Understandable," Knockout nodded. "You're exhausted."

"I need a new word to describe a state more than exhausted."

"I believe that would just be 'dead'," Knockout smiled. "Which makes sense, because you were assassinated at one point."

"As interesting as that was, I would like a mundane life at least for a while now. Quiet nights, regular work hours…"

"Maybe you should just ask for some time off work?" Knockout blinked. "You never spend your shanix, although you get paid a lot. You could take a vacation once the spacebridges are under control again."

"No, I would rather stay here for a little while…" Starscream's eyes glazed over. "I believe that there are some films we never got around to..."

"You have the key to my place." Knockout paused and lay his hand over his arm. "You know you can come over any time. Even if I am working, you're welcome to laze about. And when I'm free, we could do anything."

"I believe I promised to go with you on the Sky Rails," he smirked.

"Oh!" Knockout added. "We never made it to Six Lasers Over Cybertron either. How about it?"

"I would love to."

Knockout smiled at the wistfulness in his voice.

"How about you get some rest now," he said. "I'll go get some of my personal supplies, clean you up and get some wax that will be good for your metal."

"Alright," Starscream exhaled. "Thank you."

Knockout shifted toward the door, paused, then glanced at Starscream. Reading his thoughts, Starscream sat up and allowed him to embrace him. For those seconds, the room rang with thick, peaceful silence.

"If you had died, permanently, I would have been devastated," Knockout sighed. "It was hard enough seeing you get hurt again and again. You are my best friend, and if it wasn't obvious to you, there is no other bot on this planet that I am closer to than you."

"Thank you..."

"When everyone thought you had been killed, and when they made you a grave… I never told you how much that hurt me. Life wasn't the same; it was miserable, I took less appointments because I couldn't focus, and I missed a lot of sleep. I went out with other bots now and then, but they weren't real friends who I am close to. I don't know if I could ever feel so close to anyone else, because it's something about our wobbly past that makes what we have now more profound."

Starscream scooted to the edge of the berth and hugged tighter. "I… don't know what to say. I never realized my death had bothered you that much… But it means a lot to me, to hear you say that, out of all the bots on Cybertron, I am your dearest friend. I have always been extremely thankful for your friendship. I could always talk to you, you helped me relax during stressful times, and you helped me feel at home when I was struggling with my memories. I worried too that the risks I took would put you in danger. When I heard that assassins would be sent after you, I lost my mind, Knockout. I would have killed all those Seekers, even Slipstream, if I had come back and seen them standing over your body."

"I know you would have," Knockout laughed breathily. "Yes, we have come so far… I never want you to stop coming to me, to talk and let me help you…" Then he let go of Starscream to say, "I was going to get wax for you, but then you distracted me and got us into this soppy discussion! You've made it difficult to leave now."

"You are the one who started it," he joked.

"No it wasn't," Knockout countered. "You were the one who hugged me. You know doing that at a time like this brings out these long discussions. Honestly, you need rest more than this."

"Oh please, you wanted the opportunity to blabber."

"Maybe I did," Knockout shrugged. "But now, I'll be off. I won't be long."

His eyes followed Knockout's back as he left. The doctor glanced back, then ducked out through the opening doorway. When Starscream felt that he was truly gone with nothing to do, he went limp, and waited for sleep to take him.

* * *

He sensed that hours had passed, and during it he had a vague recollection of an oil cloth rubbing him clean, then hands working wax into his weary body. It was massaging and utterly relaxing, so when Starscream woke naturally, he felt content and refreshed.

He was aware that there was someone else in the room, but when he sat up and turned, he did not see Knockout seated in the corner. He had left long ago after treating Starscream with the wax, and the energon drip had even been taken out. Now, there was only Megatron left with him.

There was still a visor covering Megatron's face, but it was turned to him, so he had certainly been watching Starscream all this time. First Starscream gasped, then he found that he wasn't bothered or frightened.

Starscream slipped out of the berth and stood on his feet.

"What are you doing here?" he gently asked.

Megatron's voice rumbled through, "I wanted to speak with you."

Starscream's wings rose. "Are you leaving?"

"Not immediately. Our spaceship was destroyed with the station, and although I have been assured that there is one from Tarn that could be given to us, we must still wait for spacebridge controls to be repaired to send us to Chaar. We will also be returning with extra supplies donated by the High Council."

"How generous…" he murmured mildly, distracted by his relief that they would be staying a bit longer. Starscream then added, "Are you pleased then, to be able to spend more time here?"

He wished he could see Megatron's expression. The bot in blue did not move or even shrug. Megatron only replied, "Perhaps. I am not certain. I have never seen Cybertron at peace, but despite it being my planet of origin, I have a new home elsewhere. I long to return to it with Shockwave, the Predacons, and with Soundwave."

 _Of course_. Starscream smiled and lowered his head. Soundwave had been searching and fighting for Megatron, and now, that was all over. He would be happy there on Chaar, finally having a break while surrounded by those that would care for him.

"Will you ever return?" Starscream asked.

"We will. Now that the High Council knows of our existence, I expect that visits will be possible at any time through a space bridge. Optimus will no doubt come often to examine our progress."

"I am also eager to see what will become of Chaar." Starscream turned his head. "If you don't mind it… I will likely visit each stellar cycle."

"You are more than welcome to."

His red eyes stared at the visor. Behind it, Starscream thought that he was smiling.

"Will you reveal your identity?" Starscream asked. "I am sure that you will be forgiven and accepted as I have been. You will be more comfortable on Cybertron without requiring a disguise to walk in public."

"I will reveal myself, but not this time," Megatron answered. "Too much has shocked the world in such a short period of time. No, I will wait."

"Do you… want us to tell them? After…"

"Wait a few months, then tell them that we came. But do not reveal our location. That information will have to be withheld even longer, until vengeful spirits have had time to settle."

"I understand," Starscream murmured.

Starscream then sat for a moment, lost in consideration while Megatron's eyes kept hold of him.

"Could you consider this..." Starscream then said after the pause. "You extended an offer to me, that I could live on Chaar if society rejected me. I know there will be bots who feel that their lives are at risk on Cybertron, or bots who will live in bitter hatred in prison without belief that they will ever recover. What if Chaar could become a rehabilitation centre for some of them? I am sure you could manage them, and perhaps they would be helpful as workers on your expanding forest…"

"I accept this notion," Megatron said. "But I will only take a few new ones at a time. You understand that they could be a danger to our work and lives."

Starscream nodded solemnly.

"I have two requests on the top of my mind," he told Megatron. "They will not cause you any trouble. They are in need, and I believe that they will be receptive to rehabilitation."

"And they would be?"

"Skystalker and Airachnid."

"The Predacon?"

"There are many vengeful bots who are likely to kill him here." Starscream thought back to the staring Insecticons. "He also needs to learn how to respect life. I believe that in the company of your Predacons and under your control, he would become good."

"And why Airachnid?" Megatron asked. "For what reason are you concerned about her?"

"I have seen that she is scarred, and I considered that perhaps she has never been cared for. I had hoped that she could change and find peace, and I believe that Chaar is the best option for her as well."

"Very well, they may return with us. Have you any more suggestions?"

"Not at the moment. But I will speak to Decepticons and Predacons to find out if any of them are seeking an alternative method of rehabilitation."

The visor lowered in acknowledgment.

Starscream did not know what to add to that, so he shrugged slightly. He could feel how at ease he was here in Megatron's presence, and he would have wanted to stay longer if he did not have other responsibilities.

"Are they waiting on me?" Starscream asked.

"Yes."

Starscream looked toward the exit and took a dragging step toward it. "Then I better be off."

"Stay, I have not yet spoken to you about what I had come to speak of."

Starscream halted near Megatron, already knowing what he was going to get to, thus started to shift in embarrassment.

"During the War, I never expected that you would change," Megatron murmured. "I thought that I knew you so well that your unpredictable actions had become predictable to me. Yet in the end, you have surprised us all again. Not only have you changed your spark, you have also become a hero of Cybertron. You have become courageous and selfless, and you will be cherished in the historical archives like Prima reincarnate."

"It was never my intention to become famed," Starscream admitted. "I only wanted it to end."

"That is understood. That is why you deserve the comparison to the Prime," Megatron said. "And I believe that you have even surpassed me."

"But my success is thanks to you!" Starscream stammered. "I would never have been able to do it otherwise. The strategy I used was entirely yours. Do you recall the advice you gave me? You told me that although my blows my be weak, I could persist until the stronger enemy was weakened. You said that I could simply make my opponent bleed to death."

Megatron nodded slowly. "Nonetheless, I am proud that you managed to do it. I may have given you the idea, but it takes more to act than to speak. Your endurance must be praised, your unquenchable spark."

Starscream buzzed with warmth and shuffled. He was so happy that he couldn't think of anything to say that wasn't just more honeyed words. Instead, he leaned forward against the extra armour on Megatron. Though he wasn't truly touching him, Megatron was sure to feel him when he put one massive arm around Starscream. Then, after a few moments, Megatron let go to lead him through the hospital to the outside city. Stepping close to Megatron's side, Starscream felt the calm pattering of his spark as they strode through excited Cybertronians.

Megatron informed the High Council that they were coming. By the time they arrived to the centre, every one of the current members were up on the stage waiting for them along with Predaking. The High Council's assembly had also collected attention as everyone sensed that important words would be said. Bots of all races, excluding Predacons, gathered in the large, open space. Fliers sat on roofs, balconies, and horizontal poles to get better views, although all would be broadcasted on the many enormous televisions in the city.

A path slowly cleared for Starscream, and no one paid any mind to the huge bot beside him. Megatron even drifted off near the front, sliding away to Soundwave and Shockwave. Starscream's gaze was on Jetfire as he came onto the stage, catching the remaining twinkle in his blue eyes. When he joined his side and turned to the cheering crowd, Starscream saw Knockout pushing his way to the front after having had followed them the best he could.

Starscream looked back into the pleased faces of the High Council, finding even a very faint smile on Ultra Magnus. The other bots he had not known well, who had come from afar, looked even more pleased with him. No longer was Starscream known as the second-in-command of the Decepticon army. To them and for everyone, when they thought of his name, his most recent heroic feats would be the first things on their minds.

A gold-rimmed microphone rose from the front of the stage. Around them, the televisions began to turn on as the speech was about to be broadcasted. Cybertronians across the city shifted, eager to hear of their victory and when they would be going home. Jetfire hovered up to the microphone, surprising Starscream since he had assumed the final words would belong to Optimus. Starscream could even see triangles lifting on high surfaces as Seekers perked up and listened with utmost attention.

Jetfire's voice was heard by every Cybertronian within the city, outside or within their temporary homes.

"Our battle is over!" he announced. "Evacuation was a complete success, and no one was killed when the enemy attacked and when the weapons of mass destruction fell into enemy hands!"

 _Except the Predacons_ , Starscream thought during the following cheer. Everyone had already known what Jetfire had said, but the truth of his words was cause enough for celebration.

"All hostile Predacons have been terminated," Jetfire continued. "Those that remain are Autobots, allies and fellow Cybertronians. The Forged are the ones who are to blame for all that happened, for they were but intelligent Decepticons who refused to accept the War's end. They have already been apprehended, and the remaining Decepticons have surrendered. All will be judged in Trial and given the help they need to change their ways."

A general, displeased grumble arose. No one was ready to forgive the Predacons, and Predaking scowled, offended for being associated with the enemy despite what he had shown in the patch.

"I implore you to open your minds and sparks!" Jetfire called out. "For is it not true that all of us have sparks, a gift of Primus? Because we all have his essence, we are _all_ capable of kindness, love, and mercy. Decepticons are individuals who were forged like anyone else. And I ask you this, are all races not forged the same? What Cybertronian emerges evil? None do. We are all vulnerable and confused, in need of guidance. The Predacon clones that we rescued are all kind and considerate individuals. Those that the Forged raised were the bloodthirsty ones turned carnivorous. Bots that were raised as disposable slaves developed violent urges, and become Decepticons. Bots that were corrupted over time became evil, and bots that were corrupted then guided became good. We have seen much of this today."

Cybertron was listening. Jetfire waved an arm back to Predaking.

"He is a cherished ally of the High Council. He was raised by Decepticons, and he despised the Autobots for the termination of the Predacon clones on Earth. However, he never closed the borders of the Predacon district- he was willing to listen to us even though Autobots had been his enemy. Most notably, Predaking and the Predacons Skylynx and Darksteel aided the Autobots in the fight against Unicron. Furthermore, he shunned the idea of predation, allowing bipedal teachers to educate his kind and promoting energon fountains in his land. Predaking has never killed for sustenance, and the Forged had to force him to violence by poisoning him with a disease."

Jetfire nodded back at him with gratitude in his gaze.

"In his right mind, Predaking would never act as the enemy had. A Predacon though he is, he refused to kill even when the evil Predacon leaders had caged and starved him. Predaking was locked with one of my Seekers, but he would have rather perished than consume him to survive. When Predaking was rescued, his energon levels were at an extreme low. Let it be known that he had lost much blood in a previous battle."

As the audience was calm, Predaking was as well. He kept gazing at Jetfire, letting him speak for him.

"Predaking will no longer be a leader of Predacons," Jetfire said. "Instead, he has come to the agreement that it is wrong to divide our races. He claims that perhaps Predacons are a result of Unicron's corruption on the Primes long ago. They were forged able to devour other kinds, but with the sparks from Primus, Predacons are fully able to live without any carnivorous urges. They were always able to live among us, but what is necessary is the acceptance of the other races. Predacons should enter all careers, live in all cities, and- they should have the right to transform. No one should be restricted in this way by the law. Predacons may transform, but I assure you, any particular Predacon that harms someone will be dealt with like any bot who uses a weapon upon another."

The Sky Commander added, "With that being said, Predaking asks to be a new kind of leader. He can be a reasonable voice that helps us unite the different races of Cybertron. In the vote for the new High Council, he will come forth as an option. We will have thirteen members, and I advise all of you to accept our ally in promotion of equality."

There was a pause as Jetfire's voice carried out far. Then, the inspired population of Cybertron broke into applause and cheer. Starscream saw a true, relieved smile break out across Predaking's face. And Starscream himself felt soaring pride for Predaking, for all that he had done for the Predacons, for being reasonable even with the Autobots and hated Starscream.

"There is another whom I ask you to consider as a member of the High Council," Jetfire carried on. "Starscream, whose quick thinking, dedication, and bravery saved lives and ended this battle once and for all. He was to one who predicted the final attack and called for full evacuation. His plan included the destruction of the space station, in order to lure the Predacon army and destroy the majority of them. Unfortunately, the enemy unlocked the plasma laser satellite faster than anticipated. Iacon was about to be destroyed, but Starscream urged the enemy into attacking the evacuated Vos."

Jetfire raised his arms.

"Had we not followed Starscream's plan, our militaries would have been forced into an all out battle with the Predacons! We have lost the Hydrax Space Station and Vos, but all this can be rebuilt! Starscream saved thousands of lives from battle! Not one Seeker died in the final attack, so let us not mourn Vos! Because Vos still lives!"

He would have continued, but the ecstatic roar of Seekers rose from the rooftops. For a few seconds, he let them scream and chant.

" _Vos still lives_! _Vos still lives_! _Vos still lives_!"

Then Jetfire pushed through, "When the laser struck Vos, it is confirmed that more than ten thousand citizens were still in Iacon. Therefore, Starscream's swift thinking can be credited for saving these thousands of lives as well!"

He had to stop again at the excited reception of the surrounding crowd. In all directions throughout the city, voices cried out for Starscream.

"I am deeply impressed and proud of Starscream," Jetfire said. "We need a leader like him on Cybertron. His quick thinking will undoubtedly aid us time and time again in the future. I trust his judgement, and I would follow him to the edge of the universe."

Jetfire turned his chair and beckoned Starscream to stand beside him. Once Starscream stood at his side, he turned back to the microphone.

"With that being said, I offer Starscream my position as Sky Commander of Vos."

Starscream froze. So _that_ had been what was on Jetfire's mind. The audience screamed again in joy, but Starscream felt his spark wavering in uncertainty.

"But what about you?" Starscream tried to whisper to him, but he was so close to the microphone that everyone heard him.

"We are willing to demote ourselves for you to take that position," Jetfire replied. "You may have it, Starscream. You earned each of your ranks, without anyone needing to die. This one you earned as well."

There had never been a Seeker position as powerful as the Sky Commander. In old Cybertron, there had only been Air Commanders, Starscream one of them, who had been directed by the old High Council and Sentinel Zeta Prime. Now absolute power was being offered to him, where he could become the Seeker of _all_ Seekers, but his spark was hesitating.

Leadership had never been so unattractive to him before. It was work, for one. Starscream's mind drifted to Knockout, thinking of all the quiet hours he wanted to spend with his friends. Those moments made him infinitely more happy than seizing power. Starscream was not the same, and he even felt offense bubbling up inside him. It took a few seconds of stunned silence to figure out that he was partially offended that they had thought he wanted this, but mostly he was offended for _Jetfire_.

Starscream shifted over, and Jetfire moved to let him stand in front of the microphone.

"No. I refuse this offer." Starscream scanned the blinking faces that stretched out of sight. "This is all unnecessary. I would be honoured to be a member of the High Council, but there is no need for me to replace Jetfire as the Sky Commander on top of that."

When he saw some disappointment crossing the faces of his fans, Starscream felt himself bristling.

"Jetfire is a fully capable leader!" he proclaimed. "Perhaps my battle impressed you, but leaders are not simply the most skilled or strong of our society! No matter what position I am given, my ideas, plans, and thoughts will always be heard. That is because Jetfire is a fair individual who was always willing to listen to me. He trusted me as a friend, he cares for all Seekers- even the ones he barely knows such as the captured Charred Mist. For all this, he is already a perfect leader."

Jetfire sighed with a thin, wet line under his eyes that suggested lubrication was on the verge of breaking out. When Starscream leaned over him, Jetfire reached out and hugged him. At once, the disappointment was gone. All who listened had been moved, allowing for a calmer, emotional applause to ensue.

"You are a true friend," Jetfire murmured by his neck. "And I am sure that your wisdom has made Optimus even more proud of you."

Starscream glanced behind him and picked out Optimus from the group. Truly, he had never looked more proud of Starscream than in this moment, as all came to a peaceful close.

 _Where would I have been, if you hadn't been the first to believe in me?_ his eyes said to Optimus. _It all began with you, when you gave me a fresh start in life_.

Starscream stepped back and turned to the microphone.

"I could never have gone this far alone. Just as Jetfire said, we are all made with the power to be good. We are corrupted, but we can change as well. If I become a member of the High Council, I will do everything in my power to help others change as I have. We cannot scorn Decepticons; we must be understanding, and welcome them into our society. The same goes for the Predacons."

Starscream raised his chin. "In fact, we must stop focusing on race and faction. We are all Cybertronians above all, united by our possession of sparks. We are forged factionless. Therefore, I propose that we cease calling ourselves Autobots. The War is over. I recognize that we are autonomous robots, but we should remove the title and emblem of our War. We do not follow the Autobot way, but merely the path our creator intended."

His claws slid from one hand. Watching his chest, Starscream scraped off the golden Autobot insignia. All that remained now were the wings of Vos that had bordered it.

"I am not an Autobot. I am a Cybertronian like any other, and the only mark I shall have is one of a Seeker." Starscream looked at Jetfire, then asked, "Can we mark our Seekers with the original emblem of Vos?"

"I would love to bear the original emblem once again." Jetfire swelled. "Yes. The Seekers will replace their emblems."

Starscream placed his claws over Jetfire's expanded chest, over his spark and insignia, then scraped off his insignia. It was not easy for the High Council to do the same without claws, but they nodded and looked to be in such approval that it was certain that they would do it later. Behind them all, Predaking ripped off his own old Predacon insignia that had been given to him long ago by Shockwave.

Starscream noticed him raising it then dropping it. Predaking even stepped on it and ground the pieces into dust under his weight. Starscream smiled, then turned back to the microphone.

"We have learned once again that there is danger in dividing ourselves," Starscream said. "It ends today. Cybertron is weak, but we will survive with this lesson and heal. Now, the War is truly over. And now that the surface is safe, I believe that we may return home."

He looked at Jetfire for confirmation. He nodded.

Jetfire took over again.

"Seekers will find residency in Tarn, although many of you may have to share rooms," he addressed all. "Predacons will temporarily live in the Sonic Canyons, but soon apartments will be found for them. And if there are no places that are adequately large enough, then new places in the style of their old homes shall be made. They will receive their old jobs, and let us respectfully welcome them back to them."

Jetfire closed his eyes.

"We will bring you all back by city. Residents of Iacon, slowly make your way towards the groundbridges now. Although you must check out, the numerous groundbridges should allow for a quick discharge. Next to go will be the citizens of Kaon. Do not return your keys and basic supplies until your city has been called."

Jetfire opened his eyes and gazed at Starscream wearily. Starscream was smiling and staring back. At last, they would all be going home. Homes that were safe, wherever they now were. And after spending less than a day deep underground, Starscream was certain that at least the Seekers would be pleased to leave.

* * *

For Starscream, there had long since stopped being a specific place called _home_. He had known simply that the places he felt the most secure and happiest were wherever his friends were. The High Tower of Iacon where Optimus lived, Knockout's studio, Steve's residence in Fort Scyk, Vos, Predacon Valley, Chaar, a spaceship heading to Cybertron…

Starscream was just not entirely sure where home was for Predaking.

All citizens of Cybertron had just returned to their homes. Workers were already volunteering to repair Vos and the space station, and the Predacons had been moved to the Sonic Canyons under the guard of Seekers. The High Council and company were some of the last to leave the underground bunker of New Spark. Only once the cities and villages had been filled, did Starscream leave.

Predaking had insisted on seeing the Predacons settling in. When the city grew quiet, he asked to go there. With permission, he then rushed off and Starscream followed him. He too wanted to see how everyone was faring, the refugees, the rescued clones, and the defected army. Both were teleported there, and while Predaking moved among the Predacons and spoke to some of them, Starscream spent some time with Carnation.

"It will be a lot of work," the vehicon had explained. "But this is my purpose. I want to help bots until the end of my days."

Of course, Starscream had needed to thank him. The silver vehicon had been there since the beginning, after all. He needed to be told, although he already knew.

After the short dialogue, Starscream then caught sight of Predaking looking lost. He murmured a goodbye to Carnation, then wove through Predacons to him.

"What is on your mind?" he asked.

Predaking walked Starscream away so that they had more privacy. Then, he rumbled, "I was only wondering how I would adapt to Iacon if I were to become a member of the High Council."

"Ah."

"It will be difficult to live in a city. Although I may transform, I am too large for the sidewalks, I would slow traffic on the roads, and I could not fly between the buildings. I will greatly miss the openness and quietude of our old territory. I fear it will be the same for the other Predacons, and they will long for their own city again."

"Yet you aren't trapped in the city," Starscream said. "You may leave any time you wish by either flying out or taking the groundbridge. I believe that any Predacon feeling crammed will just take a relaxing, long flight. Think of all that you can do now. I am sure that you would enjoy bounding across the Neutral Territories, flying over Iacon at night, or even over the Acid Wastes at sunset."

Predaking's expression turned thoughtful as he slowly grew pleased by all these prospects. He had never gotten to enjoy Cybertron fully before, and there was an overwhelming amount that he had never seen.

"You should not feel restricted," Starscream said. "A flier like myself feels confined if they stay indoors, out of sight from the sky for too long. But I go out so often that I don't ever despise the inside. I always want a place to return to that is familiar, filled with others I know, even if it means I cannot fly there."

"I understand," Predaking nodded. "Perhaps I only need time to grow to love Iacon like I have grown to love the Valley."

"Neither you or I have any obligations at the moment," Starscream said. "If you would like, a flight somewhere new might ease your spark."

"Actually, I was considering returning to the Predacon district," Predaking replied. "I wanted to see it one last time before becoming accustomed to a new lifestyle."

"Alone?"

"Only if you do not wish to come."

"Is this an invitation?" Starscream asked.

"Yes. Would you like to accompany me?"

"I would."

With that, Predaking transformed and rose up over Starscream. His great wings snapped open, flashing orange, before they launched his mass into the sky. Soon, a lithe jet spiralled past him, shooting up to fly over him and out of the way of the flapping wings. The journey was a slow one, with Predaking stretching his wings out stiff and often going at a gentle glide. Starscream followed in his own relaxed pace, quite a difference compared to his intense rush to Predacon Valley. Happily, Starscream observed Predaking twisting his head and admiring the different landscapes.

"Even the old world wasn't this beautiful," Starscream told him. "It was filled with labour, smoke, and transport carriers. There were not many animals back then as well, because the Well had stopped making most species long ago. Although you can still see the scars of war from up here, I assure you that this world is better than the one before the War."

Predaking wished he could speak to reply to him. The best that he could do was growl in understanding.

They dropped in altitude once they saw that they were getting close. It did not take Starscream long to realize as well that Predaking was shifting their direction towards the old Predacon burial grounds. It was curious that he would want to go there, but when they landed on a rise over the lowlands, Predaking transformed. Starscream looked at Predaking expectantly as he peered over the sunset-lit plain.

"I found this place when the _Nemesis_ arrived on Cybertron," Predaking said. "I felt a draw in this direction, then I spotted a land filled with Predacon remains. I resided here for a short time, but it was lonely believing that I was the last of my kind. I know that the ancient Predacons that rested here were murderers like Azure. And yet, they were all that I felt close to in this universe. For a long time, being a Predacon was all that mattered to me."

Starscream wandered closer to his side.

"It still bothers me that they were reanimated, and that their bodies exploded to dust. All that remained here were the pieces: claws and plating. But then, even they were taken. Slowly, the pieces were stolen for the purpose of cloning that army. I can see clearly now that while I was sick, they took every last piece. See now that nothing remains, Starscream, of the ancients."

"We may be able to recover pieces from the labs," Starscream offered.

"I am not disturbed by their absence. Not nearly as much as I would have been before," Predaking said. "No. I do not feel so attached to the fossils of unknown Predacons. Now that Skylynx and Darksteel are buried here, my mind focuses upon them."

Starscream twitched self-consciously. Predaking glanced to the side at his half-lowered wings, then put an arm around him.

"I will show you where they are."

He blinked back gratefully, but his wings stayed in their set position.

Predaking walked down the slope and stepped onto the flat ground of the burial grounds. He pointed at the metal before his feet, causing Starscream to jerk in surprise. He had not expected that they had come to the exact spot. Timidly, Starscream padded down and examined the metal. He could see the faint lines were the ground had been welded; Predaking had lifted up a layer of metal, then closed it over their bodies and sealed it shut. Now, Predaking sat at the edge and traced one of these weld marks. With a heavy spark, Starscream squatted beside him in silence, staring forward.

He did not dare ask when they would leave, but Starscream felt himself growing tired. Predaking sat without moving, evidently needing a lot of time to think and feel. Since Starscream had agreed to come, he did not feel that he had the right to pressure him. He should be more respectful here as well, considering that Predaking had forgiven him enough to bring him here. Night had come, however, and it was cold to sit here. Starscream's body longed for a warm place, and lacking it, he shivered and blinked sleepily.

"Are you fatigued?" Predaking broke the hours of silence.

"I suppose I needed a longer recharge."

"After your battle, that is understandable."

They were quiet. Starscream straightened himself, resisting the constant pull he felt to lie on the ground.

"Are you cold here?" Predaking asked.

"Only because I am still."

"I considered resting here tonight. You may leave if you wish."

Starscream shook his head.

Predaking smiled at his determination. Then he said, "When I was with Charred Mist, he would get cold easily. I could transform and do for you want I did for him. I can hold the fire in my chest, and you could lie by it until you are warm."

Without a confirmation, Predaking transformed. In the land where savage Predacons once lay, this one swept the biped against his chest, sheltering him between his arms and resting his neck over him. It was already warmer, but then the yellow glow beside Starscream heated him like the underground stones of Chaar. Relaxed, safe, Starscream curled up against the ground at the edge of the grave.

Lying on the ground, however, did not remove that pull. Starscream felt that his spark was drifting away like a ghost, phasing through metal and going downwards. His head spun in disorientation, and he shifted. Predaking raised his head and blinked curiously as Starscream stretched out and pressed himself tight against the metal.

The rumbling growl asked, " _What are you doing_?"

"I have just… felt a strange pull ever since I have been here. My spark feels heavy, but from more than just sorrow. It is like…" Starscream closed his eyes and sought when he had felt this way before. "The draw I feel for Cloudtips. Thundercracker."

Predaking did not understand. His large, yellow eyes blinked, lost.

Starscream murmured, "When I was in the Allspark, I never saw them there. I had assumed that they had already carried on into the next life…"

Predaking rose onto his legs when Starscream stood up and said, "Predaking. I may be wrong, so please do not despise me for asking you this: can you open the grave? Something tells me… that they might not be dead."

Predaking transformed. "That is preposterous. They are deceased. Their bodies are heavily damaged. There was no light of life left in their optics and bodies."

"And their spark chambers?"

Predaking narrowed his eyes, but could not confirm. He only argued, "They could not be alive. There was no light, and too much time has passed. They could not have gone without energon."

"Stasis," Starscream said. "Many weapons hit them. Perhaps, one of them was stasis-inducing. Bots can survive long periods of time, consuming very little energon. They may have been damaged, but perhaps, they had not truly been dead?"

Predaking transformed again quickly after a look of hope had won over his face. His long, front claws dug into the metal, ripping along the crack until he could lift underneath the slab. Then, Predaking pushed it with all his strength, peeling the metal back. Starscream gasped, for a moment shocked by the sudden sight of Skylynx and Darksteel. The fronts of their bodies underneath their necks were warped and smelted. Their optics were black, and as Predaking had said, the normal glow of yellow on their bodies had burned out.

Predaking's horned head peeked in as Starscream dropped into the hole. He moved stiffly, unsheathing his claws then cutting into Darksteel's chest. He desperately hopped he was not just cutting into the corpse of Predaking's comrade, who he had indirectly killed. Yet his spark still pulled, urging him on. Starscream sliced through metal, carefully, pulling Darksteel's chest open for a thin crack to be made. Two of his fingers cautiously scraped deeper, seeking for the last light within these dark bodies.

Behind and above him, Predaking's eyes widened at the sudden trickle of faint, white light. In the darkness of the night, it shone blindingly bright and filled the hole containing Starscream. His silver parts and those of the unresponsive Darksteel and Skylynx reflected it, causing both Predaking and Starscream to blink rapidly. Despite that, they could not look away, for there was nothing more beautiful from here to the distant beyond than this light.

"They're alive," Starscream whispered. "Predaking-"

He spun around, but Predaking already knew. He plucked Starscream from the hole, transformed, and held him tight.

* * *

 _End Part Four_


	44. Epilogue: The Coming of Home

_18 years later._

* * *

Sunlight halted abruptly at the edge. Crouching and peering into a triangular tunnel, Starscream let his visor fall over his eyes to see into the darkness.

"I've found another opening," Starscream reported. "Duskstorm, accompany me."

Through the commlink came the jesting reply, "Just me, Lord?"

Starscream peered up into the sky as he heard two Seekers approaching. One of the jets was a spot of blue against the grey clouds, while the other was sharper, black and flecked with orange-gold.

"It'll have to be just you. Cloudtips won't be able to fit."

Duskstorm spiralled away, dropping into the valley and letting Cloudtips continue a straight path over the area. Just before landing at Starscream's side, he did a flip and smiled wolfishly. Then, he peered at the tunnel partially caved in under the weight of metal plates.

"It doesn't look safe, but it does look promising," Duskstorm said.

Starscream pressed into the hole. "Yes, such places are attractive to nonsensical, grounder Newsparks."

Duskstorm chuckled at Starscream's exasperated tone. Time and time again, Seekers were sent out to search for missing bots, and most of time they recovered eager Newsparks who had gotten lost exploring. While it _was_ a key part of a Seeker's job, Duskstorm knew that it was too close to Starscream's vacation time to please him. So far, there had been no time to pack; instead, the emergency call had been given to Starscream's special division.

Grime and rust coated the ceiling, and startled zap mice skittered away down the tunnel. Starscream followed them with wings lowered, trying to touch as little as possible along the sloping path. Duskstorm stayed back a pace, pursuing Starscream's grey wings as he could not see past him. The tunnel widened to comfort them, but then they walked for so long that it began to unnerve them. They had seen side tunnels, and Duskstorm feared that he had already forgotten the way back. Now, underground and in the dark, the young Seeker was putting all his trust in Starscream.

Something larger moved in one of the side tunnels. The Seekers stopped and stared, meeting angled, yellow eyes. The creature growled lowly, then turned and fled. Spooked, Duskstorm murmured to Starscream, "We've gone far enough, haven't we? I mean, a Newspark wouldn't have pressed on this far."

"We've followed the widest tunnel." Starscream stepped toward the narrower path that the creature had run down. The stiffness of his voice indicated that he did not want to be here, but he said, "Newsparks are sometimes too clueless of the world's dangers, and thus feel less fear than us."

A pale shimmer of gold was smeared on the wall. Starscream had spotted it, felt it between his black fingers, then observed the other splotches up ahead.

"What is that?" Duskstorm asked.

"A dye of some sort." Starscream squeezed into the side tunnel. "Although it's ancient. Now, let us just assume that bright colours attract Newsparks…"

His exasperated sigh made Duskstorm chuckle again.

The Seekers did not have to walk far before they burst into a cavern. There was a pause for amazement, their heads turning to take in not a true cave, but a dilapidated room. The roof was slanted, crushed, but some pillars of a dull gold colour still gave the room shape. What looked like doorways to halls were now cut off by natural metal, leaving the slit the only entrance in. Energon that had crystallized in the ruins allowed enough light for their visors to see the objects: blunt swords, primitive crossbows and blasters, and a metal banner with a faded design lay on the floor.

"Wow," Duskstorm breathed. "This place… It is _ancient_. I've never seen anything like it!"

"Neither have I," Starscream exhaled, awed. "Even if we do not find the Newspark here, this is a historical find we must report. It must be the remains of one of the earlier kingdoms, from the Age of Evolution…"

" _Before_ cities had even been built?" Duskstorm gasped.

"Iacon and Kaon were just plains," Starscream confirmed, following a gold-streaked path on the floor. "From the time of Predacons, before Cybertronians knew they could transform."

"What was that like?"

"Why are you inquiring like _I_ was there? Just how old do you think I am?"

Duskstorm laughed, "Well, you were talking like you were there!"

Starscream picked up one of the swords. "I am saying what anyone with a proper education would know. It would be common knowledge to you as well, but everyone knows you don't read nearly enough."

Duskstorm picked up his own sword and swung it experimentally. "Is there anyone alive from this time?"

"Sure there is," Starscream said, placing the delicate sword back down. "But they do not remember it well. Those like the scientist Perceptor, if you even know him, and…" Starscream smirked at Duskstorm, pleased to make his point that the other Seeker really wasn't well read. "Optimus Prime, as Orion Pax."

"What! No way!"

A new voice mumbled, "He was in the first generation of bots to leave the Well…"

The Seekers raced around the throne, finding a semi-conscious two-wheeler leaning against it. He looked blindly through the pitch black toward the Seekers, then sighed, "I thought my mind was making me hear things. You're bots, right? Not whispering spirits."

The two lifted their visors for a moment to let him see the glow of their red eyes. When they saw the same intense darkness barely lit by the energon, they couldn't help but feel shaken by the otherwise dead silent ruins in the underground labyrinth.

"We are Seekers," Starscream affirmed. "Your disappearance was reported, and we were sent to the last place you had been sighted."

"Air Commander Starscream?"

The Seekers disappeared when they covered their eyes again.

"Yes," he answered.

"I remembered hearing your voice on the news," he sighed. "I didn't think Seekers would ever find me though."

"How did you end up here?"

"It was an accident," the two-wheeler sighed. "I was on the surface, then fell through a tiny hole. It sucks to be so small at times… The fall busted my knee. I looked for a way out, then followed the only interesting thing I saw. I had hoped the marks had been recently left by someone, indicating a way out. It was only a dead-end, and I've lost so much blood. I'm weary and have been munching raw energon until I was sick."

"Then we were fortunate to find you, Track Leap."

"You can just call me Tracks," he answered with an amicable smile.

Starscream was glad that the bot was as small as Arcee. It was easy to pick him up, and with the bot in his arms, Starscream began to lead them out. Duskstorm padded behind him, too hesitant to ask if Starscream knew the way back. He imagined if he asked, Starscream would second guess himself, then they all would be lost and in need of rescuing.

Signals did not escape places like this. They were on their own.

"Dusk," Starscream muttered without having to look back. "Put that sword down. You can't keep it."

"Oh come on, chief!"

But the Seeker had already left it on the ground.

Starscream confidently led them in the wider tunnel, staying away from side tunnels that occasionally did look like the way back. Tracks relaxed, trusting against Starscream's grey chest while Duskstorm tried to start a conversation to pass the time.

"You know," he defended himself. "I _did_ learn about Optimus Prime at school. But we were taught more about what he did in the War. It's not my fault I didn't know about his _very_ early life."

Bemused, Starscream countered, "It is your fault for fooling around after every shift and never engaging in any educational activities. Tracks- a bot much younger than you, has already put you to shame."

The exhausted two-wheeler grinned.

Duskstorm huffed, "I'm not _that_ dumb."

"Can you name the ages of our history?"

He spluttered, "Of course I can! Here you are- wait, well… these aren't ages, but it starts off with the Primes, fighting Unicron, the Primes fighting each other…"

"Yes…"

"The Age of Evolution, the Age of Origins, Wrath, the Golden Age, Rust, the Great War…"

"Mmm."

"Wait, so when were _you_ forged?" Duskstorm asked.

Starscream wanted to face-palm, but there was a bot in his arms. "The same period of your first life. Did you _seriously_ not even try to learn about yourself?"

"But you told me a lot. I didn't look up more than the War stuff either."

"Is the Great War the only thing that interests you?" Starscream sighed. Tracks appeared confused, but entertained at the teasing.

"I mean you could just tell me, if you want me to learn things."

"I was forged near the end of the Golden Age. It was still a time of caste systems, and as a flier, I was instantly a part of the high caste as a Seeker. It was the same for Skywarp, Thundercracker, and Slipstream. We were adored by the elites for our aerial agility, and given promotions."

Tracks murmured, "That's really neat."

"Perhaps, but it made us extremely self-centered and arrogant."

"That's not really your fault," the two-wheeler said. "It was hard for nearly everyone. No one could chose what they could be, and they were made into whatever was useful."

His words warmed Starscream, but Duskstorm grew a bit jealous and said, "You're bright, for a bot that fell through a hole."

"Be kind, Duskstorm," Starscream defended him. The newest generation of Cybertron were sometimes nervous around Starscream, hearing a mix of his old history and recent actions. It was a joy to have an adoring Newspark like this one. "Accidents occur to the best of us."

"Sorry, that came out meaner than I intended. I hope your leg's alright."

"Can't feel it now," Tracks exhaled. "I'm okay."

"You're right though," Duskstorm went on. "A lot of bots love talking about Megatron, how he turned evil because of his hard life as a slave. They don't always remember that having life _too_ good is just as destructive. That high castes bots couldn't help but become Decepticons based on how they were raised too."

"As intelligent as those words were," Starscream smirked, "you are, in a way, calling me evil to my face."

"In the past!" he hastened, then realized that hadn't changed the meaning of his words.

"I know," Starscream replied, good-naturedly to ease him.

"Of course it doesn't matter now," Duskstorm continued. "We don't hold grudges against Megatron or you anymore… Honestly, I really liked meeting him when you took me."

Tracks gasped, "You saw Megatron?"

"Oh yeah. He's _huge_. Starscream took me as one of his guests last time. He can only take a few at a time, so it was kind of a big deal."

"How big is he?" asked Tracks.

Duskstorm said, "Bigger than Optimus! Like a Predacon in bot-mode! We're only as tall as his hips, so you'd only be up to his knees."

"Whoa."

The chatter continued all the way to the end. The young bots were thrilled when they saw light up ahead, that Starscream had led them back to the surface. Tracks thanked Starscream heartily as they stepped out, and as Starscream checked the position of the sun, he made a call to the search team.

"Track Leap has been located. Seekers to my position. Backbite, come help us with transport."

Seekers usually travelled in odd numbers. Nine returned to Starscream, but then came a blue Predacon with them, a Vos insignia also stamped onto his chest. Tracks was intimidated, but Starscream passed him off into the careful claws of the Predacon.

"He's with us," Starscream eased him. "A helper of Seekers. Our tracker and heavy lifter."

Tracks timidly joked, "Well, I'm not heavy at all I guess."

"He'll save the paramedics the panic of us calling for an emergency groundbridge. Your city is not far. He'll fly you to the hospital there, and I am sure you will get home soon after."

Duskstorm teased, "You aren't scared of heights, are you?"

"I-I'll find out."

Backbite, out of consideration, carefully flapped upwards. The two-wheeler, who looked even tinier in his hands, gasped when he left the ground. His head was looking frantically around as the Predacon rose higher, though not to the height they usually flew, and took him away.

Starscream glanced around at his tired Seekers, who had spent the days and nights searching and switching with other members of the team. He was probably the most tired of them all, and was looking ever so forward to his vacation.

"Another job accomplished," he announced. "Let us return home, shall we?"

Slipstream chuckled and winked, "Vos or Iacon?"

"Take a gander, Lieutenant. It's the city where all our permanent addresses are."

Starscream took off to take the lead, but Slipstream could not resist pestering him. She drew up to his side.

"Well, it's hard to know with you, Commander. You only take cybercat naps in Vos, but always hop over to Iacon whenever you can. And I'm not talking about for your High Council business, you now."

"I already had enough of Skywarp's cheek today. I don't need yours now too."

"Your forgot your blankie last time."

"And must I ask, why you were in my apartment?" Starscream made that shuddering sigh sound of annoyance that Slipstream knew all too well. Then, he said, "No, nevermind it. I shouldn't encourage you to keep talking."

When she tried to continue speaking to him, Starscream refused to answer. She was forced to quit her teasing, which was only a tradition after any of Starscream's solo accomplishments.

* * *

The Seekers were more than glad to get back to Vos and sleep. Starscream, as the leader, was compelled to make his successful report to Jetfire first. Even after the heartwarming praise, Starscream could not yet rest. Bubbling with excitement, he imagined how much better he would rest on Chaar, after soaking in the hot river then lying on the warm stones.

He emerged out of the main building, jetting down and beelining toward his own residence. Below, he watched Seekers walking, and all around him, the city buzzed with lively jets. Starscream spotted two black shapes in a jumble on a bench; somehow, Charred Mist and Comet had not made it back to their own rooms. Their knack of falling asleep in public and in noisy places astounded Starscream, and on top of that, they always fell into ridiculous positions over each other.

He withheld a laugh and landed on his floor. His mood could not have been better on a day like today. As he began packing up a few things, he wondered if Skylynx and Darksteel would be done by now. If they- specifically Darksteel and his lackadaisical personality- made them all late, then he would have throttled them.

Starscream sent Darksteel a call, a hint of accusation in his tone as he asked, "Where are you?"

"Wait, we're not going now right? I thought you said-"

"Not now, but will you be ready?"

Darksteel laughed, "Ha, okay good. Why'd you scare me by asking that?"

"I would prefer not to be delayed."

"Heh, okay."

After a short while, Starscream was done. Mostly, his suitcase was only packed with gifts or consumable goods to share with the others. Then bearing it out, Starscream locked his apartment with the suspicion that Slipstream would get in regardless. She must have checked the combination over his shoulder at some point, for solely mischievous purposes.

His next destination was the headquarters, but instead of heading up, he descended to its basement. Located there were the employees charged with groundbridge control: an assortment of bots not necessarily fliers. One bot currently working this job was about to end his shift, and he glanced up nervously as Starscream came in. This was a blue Cybertronian who resembled a helicopter, appropriately named Bluewind. Only a few years old, he had recently met Starscream formally when he moved to Vos for work.

A simple chain bag was visible under his desk by his feet. Although packed and about to make his first off-world trip, Bluewind was not as eager as other young bots would have been. The black blades on his back slid over each other as Starscream stopped in front of his work station. Other workers glanced over with a smidge of jealousy, for they and Bluewind himself did not understand why Starscream had taken an abrupt interest in a nobody, a non-Seeker worker in the basement of headquarters.

Starscream had accidentally come a bit too early, forcing the young employee to answer his next few calls in a wavering voice as Starscream lingered in front of him. Then, when his shift was over, Bluewind grasped his bag and silently checked out. Starscream followed, a head shorter than the bot's shoulder. Although Bluewind was wider and taller than Starscream, he felt gangling and awkward in the sharp Seeker's presence. Bluewind simmered in awe, imagining how Starscream could dash or blast off at any second, or tear out anyone's throat in a nimble lunge.

"Are… you really sure?" Bluewind murmured as he followed Starscream into the overly spacious elevator.

"Trust me, I am."

"Will you tell me now? We're alone."

"No, I need more time to explain. It will have to be when we are there. Moreover, it is not the sort of thing to be rushed."

The two travelled to the Space Station of the Hydrax Plateau. While they were waiting to pass through security, Skylynx and Darksteel turned up and gazed at the unknown helicopter-bot.

"Who is this?" Skylynx asked.

Darksteel said a second after, "So this is the one you picked instead of Predaking?"

It hadn't meant to be rude, but Bluewind scrunched up, more self-conscious than before. He was overly aware of his insignificant status, and he stared hesitantly at Starscream again.

 _Why did you ask me to come?_ the eyes asked.

"Predaking was fine with the arrangement," Starscream replied. "He will stay back, and if there is any business to be done, we agreed that his vote would count as mine as well."

Starscream pushed Bluewind a bit forward to introduce himself. Yet he was temporarily shocked that Starscream was touching him, and could not speak.

"He's… an acquaintance from Vos," Starscream went on. Bluewind looked at him, nervous about his hesitation and if his description had meaning. Then, he was shocked as Starscream added, "This is Blue."

No one in his short life had given him a nickname. It was overwhelming, but the Newspark instantly loved it. His hero was being incredibly informal and friendly with him, seemingly without reason. It was a dream come true.

The Predacons introduced themselves, shaking his hand carefully in their clawed ones. But Blue had seen them around before, so they weren't entirely new. They were some of the few Vos Predacons, not Seekers, but military police officers nonetheless, and they shared the same Vos insignia as Blue and Starscream.

Blue felt a lingering feeling of immaturity as he went with the capable officers through questioning and screening. He showed his meager possessions to an employee and passed a test for diseases. Starscream waved at him to walk by his side as they were shuttled onto a small ship. The four sat inside in two rows, with the Predacons seated in front of them immediately starting to ramble about Shockwave and all the Predacon friends they had missed.

Starscream tilted in his seat toward Blue. "This will be your first time seeing Cybertron from afar."

"Y-yes… It will be."

"Stop doubting yourself; I want you here. You aren't taking someone else's place."

"It really feels that way," Blue admitted. "You said that Megatron doesn't let many come at a time…"

That was true. The rule was three guests (Optimus was always a plus one exception), and two to three new residents if any were being taken to Chaar.

"I do not regret choosing you in the slightest. Now, try to enjoy the take-off."

Blue peeked at the window, but was briefly distracted by the reflection of Starscream's watching face. Then, he waited and watched the Space Station grow small as they rose off the ground. It grew hard to see as they tilted back and accelerated, but Cybertron stretched out into a grey and blue plain. The ship rumbled and the surface whipped away, getting replaced by darkening shades of blue. Though he was a flier, Blue was not used to any sort of extreme heights or speeds. His spark pounded and his fingers dug into the armrests while Darksteel whooped in his seat in front of him.

Blue glanced at Starscream's reassuring face. The Seeker commander had done a lot of space travel and didn't look frightened in the least. Still, Blue jumped in fright as they burned through the atmosphere, squeezing his eyes shut. For him, in was an eternity before they hit a sudden stillness. Starscream and Blue peered out the window as they levelled out and floated in Cybertron's orbit. The young bot gasped once he caught sight of their planet, his eyes widening as he saw the dazzling blue of life and the lights of cities in twilight.

"You tried to decline my offer," Starscream murmured. He pointed past him now. "Look at what you would have missed."

Blue pressed his black hands against the window. He whispered, "It's different than the pictures..."

"Of course it is."

Their spacebridge portal opened up for them. Blue watched for as long as he could before the pilot drove them through to a distant realm of the universe. The young bot was alarmed by the change, when the constellations were replaced and the coldness of isolation was felt. No one except for Starscream and the pilot knew exactly where they were, but everyone could sense the distance from home.

"Look," Starscream distracted him in a whisper. He indicated the new planet they were approaching. Blue peeked at what was nearly a barren, grey planet. Then, he spotted a tiny speck of light, like hope in darkness. As they headed toward it, everyone leaned to look out the front window. The pilot announced their arrival before they saw green burst out suddenly among the grey. It was the stretch of forest that only grew wider and more lush each time Starscream returned, and its current state shocked Blue with delight.

"How did they manage to grow that here?" he breathed.

"Through careful, nurturing care..." Starscream quivered in excitement and impatience, and when they landed, he was the first to leap out of his seat. He rushed to collect his luggage, tossed everyone else's at them, then hopped out of the spaceship. Blue scrambled after him onto the metal platform, then froze at the sight of the welcoming party. Skylynx and Darksteel pelted past him, dropping their things to transform and crash into other Predacons. While they screeched and growled, Starscream hopped up to Megatron and other former Decepticons.

Blue watched, spark petrified when Megatron put a massive arm around Starscream. The helicopter-bot slowly walked up and heard Starscream greeting the others. A few vehicons that he seemed to know skittered up after Shockwave and Soundwave had seen him. They asked about some warrior vehicon named Shiloh, when he could visit, or the vehicon band led by Valor and Mint that they wanted to listen to again. Almost interrupting them, a blue and red Predacon with a viscous-looking face curved around Shockwave and swept Starscream off his feet into her arms.

Skylynx exited his tussle with the snake-like Predacon Corhada, to transform back and trot up to Ripclaw. Ripclaw tossed Starscream onto a shoulder and cried at Skylynx, "Welcome back, brother! It's good to see you again!"

Starscream nearly fell off when the Predacons embraced each other in what was more like a tackle. Blue kept his eyes on Starscream's blissful expression until he noticed the dark, slender shape of Soundwave approaching. Instantly, Blue was frightened, for the black visor seemed to face him with suspicion. In the next second, Starscream had pounced and landed at Blue's side.

"Don't worry," he told Blue. "Soundwave always records who comes and when. It's for their own safety, in case something happens and they want to know who is at fault."

That hardly eased him, but at least Starscream was at his side when Soundwave took him into a small building. Silently, Blue showed Soundwave the contents of his bag and let him register his life signal, so that he could be tracked anywhere. The process was very quick, and Blue sighed in relief once he escaped Soundwave's scrutiny.

"There's nothing to worry about," Starscream told him as they walked back. "If you can trust a former Decepticon like me, then you should be able to trust the others."

Soundwave stalked behind them like a shadow. Starscream knew he could hear them.

"You're right," Blue agreed, tingling within Soundwave's earshot and sight.

Starscream stopped and pointed out an organic creature snuffling around a nearby bush. Blue gasped, but Starscream said, "Just you wait. You will see much more on the tour."

"Tour?"

"Yes, naturally there will be one."

Everyone was calmer by the time they got back. Soundwave returned to Megatron's side, following him up even when Megatron came to greet the unfamiliar face. Blue stared up, shifting unconsciously in front of Starscream instead of behind him.

"Welcome. You must be a new friend of Starscream. What is your name?"

"Bl-Bluewind, Sir."

"Would you be interested in seeing our projects here?"

"Y-yes… thank you."

It went without saying that there was much to be shown off. Former Decepticons were at work wherever they went, crossing paths with the group or seen while working with animals within the buildings. Everyone was permitted to interact with them, and when they came to a room of bumblepuppies munching kibble, finally Blue relaxed and smiled. The affectionate creatures swarmed them, and one in particular bounced up Megatron's extended arm onto his shoulder. The storm of animals had kicked up a mess of food, and a former Decepticon Seeker waited until they were gone before cleaning up.

It took many hours although they had only briefly visited each building. There was much more to see, and many paths to explore in the nature. Starscream thought to himself that it would be good to take Blue out on a flight to the ruins of Chaar tomorrow after a good night's rest. Now though, it was getting colder. Artificial heating turned on to warm the plants and animals, but to stray outside the area would let the frigid air reach them.

"There is one good thing about the cold," Starscream purred.

Blue asked, "What is it?"

"You'll see."

All the workers seemed to be heading into the caves now. Blue watched a chatting group go into the tunnel ahead of them, and an Arachnicon with prosthetic limbs glanced back once. The former Decepticons took another tunnel, while Megatron led them down another lighted one. Blue soon felt natural heat soaking into him as the sound of a calm river reached him. Starscream grinned eagerly beside him, already stretching his back in preparation. When they did reach the underground river, Blue regarded its murky surface dubiously. It was not oil, but it was something, and the two Predacons currently lying back in it seemed content enough.

Starscream did not hesitate. His suitcase was dropped by the edge before he slipped smoothly into the river with a sigh. The blue Predacon lounging with the other red one opened his eyes and transformed, just to say, "Welcome back, Starscream."

Blue lowered himself beside Starscream as he replied, "Thank you. How are things?"

The Newspark jolted, recognizing suddenly an image he had seen back in school. Skystalker glanced at the movement, and asked, "Who is your friend?"

Blue could not believe how relaxed they were, eyes half-closed as they soaked. Megatron had already slipped in with Shockwave, and other Predacons were splashing in. As for Soundwave, he had had disappeared at some point, to somewhere only he knew.

"Blue. He's an employee in Vos, groundbridge control."

"How did you meet?"

Starscream smirked at Blue. "We didn't, really. I noticed him appearing at a few events I went to. He lingered around at the end of my flight show, was at the vehicon concerts I attended, cheered for me at the foot race… It isn't hard to miss bots who consistently stand as close to me as they can."

Skystalker chuckled, "So then, Blue, what makes you like Starscream that much?"

Blue was flushed with embarrassment. He stammered, "I-I don't know… He is just admirable, because of all that he did."

His own answer embarrassed him further.

"So he is." Skystalker sank back and smirked. The red Predacon, Thunder Talon, opened an eye then closed it.

Starscream reached back and took out a bottle from his suitcase. As he passed it to Skystalker, he glanced at Blue as though he wanted to say more. Instead, for now, everyone went quiet. Skystalker put the bottle behind him, transformed, and closed his eyes again. All except Blue almost seemed to have fallen asleep, and Starscream himself had dropped his wings and head under the surface to curl up in the heat.

After a long, cleansing soak, Starscream crawled out and murmured for Blue to follow him. Dripping, they gathered their things and walked to a cavern that had a large hole in its roof. Through that hole, wind blasted them until they were dry and chilled again. Blue's eyes hovered on Starscream's face that was tilted to the starry sky, before Starscream opened his eyes and turned his gaze to him.

"When I first came up to you, I asked you why you had such an interest in me."

"Yes… I was really surprised that you wanted to talk to me. You didn't know me at all."

Starscream picked up their luggage and motioned for him to follow again. He continued, "I remembered you. You were always there, even before you had finished elementary school. As I recall, you applauded the loudest when I got sixth in that race."

Blue stammered, face hot, "I-I didn't know you heard me…"

Starscream chuckled. He took them through the maze of tunnels, long since accustomed to remembering the way even if the walls all looked the same. Picking out a small, empty room, Starscream led Blue inside. He set down their things, and lay down onto the hot stones with a shudder and pleased groan. Carefully, Blue set himself down beside him and shivered when a calming heat settled into his blades.

"Oh, how I missed this," Starscream moaned. "I always get the best recharge whenever I rest here."

Starscream peeked at Blue as he awkwardly lay beside him, trying to feel like he had to right to be so comfortable beside Starscream.

"Alright," Starscream sighed. "Blue, I will tell you why you are special to me."

Blue turned his face to Starscream; it was tight with worry.

"Your response when I asked you why you idolized me… Do you recall it?"

"N-not really," Blue replied. "It was hard to provide an answer, and I don't think I gave you a proper one."

"Precisely..." Starscream rolled onto one side to face him. "You said that you didn't know why. You told me that you had always just had, as far as you could remember. Like having a favourite taste or colour that one cannot explain."

Blue did not understand why his words had stuck in his head. He shifted a bit back to politely give Starscream more room. But then, Starscream extended his arm to him turned up his palm.

"You have told me these words before."

"When?"

"In your second life."

Blue blinked in utter confusion, but trusted Starscream's words.

"Feel my sparkbeat," Starscream exhaled. "Tell me if it is familiar to you."

He finally noticed that Starscream had been offering his wrist to him. Blue's fingers pressed onto thin, blue metal, then waited. Starscream carefully watched Blue's face grew calm when he closed his eyes and smiled softly. Nostalgia tingled within Blue, but he could not place where it was coming from.

"It is," Blue whispered.

Starscream let him continue holding his wrist as he scooted closer.

"Listen, Blue," he murmured. "This may be difficult to grasp. But ever since I knew it was you, I have wanted to tell you. I have waited so very long for you to return…"

Blue's bright eyes blinked gently.

"Your lives were spent in the background, and I only really knew and appreciated you for a short period of time. Before you were taken away…"

He saw the ache and joy clenching Starscream's face.

"You will not remember the events I will describe, but that is fine with me. You are undoubtedly my friend, whose caring has transcended death…"

Blue could hear Starscream's voice tightening as he remembered glowing memories that had ended with sorrow.

"Starscream, you don't have to say it all now if it…"

"No, I will. I have wanted to for so long… I have wanted to have you back and be with you just as we are now."

"Alright…"

Blue stared into his mournful, friendly eyes.

"So you invited me because we were friends before… Who was I, Starscream?"

"You were a vehicon."

"A vehicon?" Blue smiled.

"Yes," Starscream said.

They stared at each other for a moment, then burst into a chuckle.

"A vehicon?" Blue repeated after, prompting him to continue.

His gentle grasp on Starscream's wrist shifted. Starscream nodded back, and his murmur drifted across to him in the silence of the warm cave.

"Yes, you were a vehicon. And although I do not know why you had chosen it, your name was a generic one of Earth…"

Starscream smiled, and his eyes fluttered shut.

"...Steve."

 **The End**


End file.
